Kenny’s men rise to occasion again
Another step forward for Kenny’s Ireland after latest stirring comeback
ANOTHER stirring comeback in Dublin 4, another step forward. This is becoming a welcome habit for manager Stephen Kenny and his players.
After late goals shared the spoils against Azerbaijan and Serbia in the World Cup last autumn, the Republic of Ireland completed a treble top against Belgium in a compelling Centenary Game of ebb and glow.
Against the world No 1 team, albeit one missing a few A-listers, plucky Ireland fought back twice, the second time with five minutes to go through Alan Browne’s thumping header after the tireless Chiedozie Ogbene chased a lost cause.
Under Kenny, half of Ireland’s goals have come in the 85th minute or after, which is a welcome trait. Never say die, and all that.
There may not have been qualifying points at stake yet Ireland needed to remind Belgium they are a different animal from the one which laid down tamely in Bordeaux at the finals of Euro 2016.
Following on from the decent finish to 2021, this was further evidence of progression under Kenny even if there are more meaningful challenges ahead.
In front of an official attendance of 48,808 – there were a lot of empty seats - Ireland looked like a team that is on the upgrade, at last.
It was a lively end-to-end duel and Belgium boss Roberto Martinez admitted it was ‘anything but a friendly’. Certainly, Ireland treated it like a World Cup tie.
Dappled through the lines there were positive contributions.
John Egan set the tone when it was needed in the first half, Josh Cullen was combative and tidy, James McClean rampaged down the left flank, Callum Robinson oozed skill, while Ogbene led the attack like a lion.
After scoring 11 goals in Kenny’s first 16 games, Ireland have now scored 12 in their last five with Ogbene (three) and Robinson (five) inflicting most of the damage.
A year ago, Ogbene had never figured in an Ireland squad and now he’s a must for the first XI.
For a League One player, he seems utterly comfortable at international
level. He’s here to stay and has much to contribute as he did last night with a goal, and a crucial assist which yielded a deserved Man-ofthe-Match gong.
The goal was an example of quick thinking, athleticism and skill and only a curmudgeon would cavil about the deflection that wrongfooted Simon Mignolet. Ogbene did more than enough to earn that break.
Trailing 1-0, the 35th minute equaliser reflected Ireland’s tigerish mood.
After Mignolet flapped unconvincingly at a corner, Ireland worked the ball back in the box from the right through Matt Doherty, who hared down the line and somehow kept the ball in play.
With Shane Duffy still in an attacking position, the green shirts refused to let Belgium clear the lines and when the ball was half-cleared again, Robinson found an inch of space out left and whipped over another teasing cross.
With Duffy and Jason Knight making their presence felt, the ball broke to Ogbene. Back to goal, ten yards out, he had the foresight to flick the ball up and execute an overhead with his right foot.
The goal lit up the stadium as Ireland, up to then, had played second fiddle, stunned by Michy Batshuayi’s lead goal in the 12th minute after a swift counter attack. Gathering the ball on the left edge of the box, he cut back inside Seamus Coleman and shotto the far corner beyond Caomhín Kelleher.
At 1-1, the mood changed and Ireland were on top for the period either side of halftime. They had Belgium rattled at times.
There was a sublime pass from Jeff Hendrick which split open the Belgian defence like a sharp knife into a stubborn mussel.
If the energetic Knight had converted the chance that subsequently arose, the roof would have come off the Aviva. Belgium were seeing stars but they cleared their heads, worked the ball upfield and forced a corner when Duffy deflected a shot just past his own post.
Defending set pieces should be bread and butter to Ireland but just as they were caught out against Serbia last September, so they were here – the same end and same side, too.
Thorgan Hazard’s outswinger was met by the towering Hans Vanaken. His header appeared bound for the far corner but it caught Coleman on the forearm and ricocheted into the net.
The game was not yet past the hour mark and Ireland were behind for a second time. It was going to take something special to draw level again.
Robinson did his bit with a dazzling piece of skill that left two defenders chasing thin air but his right-footer was parried by Mignolet.
A flurry of substitutions broke up the play but Ireland dug deep in the final minutes, no one more so than Ogbene who seized on a what appeared a half chance when Coleman and Doherty worked an opening down the right channel. The ball appeared to be going out for a throw-in but the Rotherham star found the energy to keep it in play, look up and deliver an inviting cross into no man’s land inside the box.
All of a sudden, Belgium were stretched and there was Browne, arriving on cue with a thumping header. Ireland haven’t won in eight games against Belgium but this felt like settling an old score.
The key now is to kick on against Lithiania on Tuesday and surf a feelgood vibe into the Nations League in June.
Republic of iReland: Kelleher; Coleman, Duffy, Egan; Doherty, Cullen, Hendrick (Browne 76), McClean (Manning 80); Knight (Keane 76), Robinson, Ogbene. ScoReRS: Ogbene 35, Browne 85. belgium: Mignolet; Denayer, Boyata, Theate (Mangala 75); Saelemaekers (Foket h-t), Tielemans, Dendoncker, Hazard; De Ketelaere (Januzaj 75); Batshuayi (Benteke 83), Vanaken.
ScoReRS: Batshuayi 12, Vanaken 58.
RefeRee: N Walsh (Scotland).