Waiting for luck of the draw

IT wasn’t pretty, of course it wasn’t. But it was effective. Just about.

Ireland go into tomorrow’s play-off draw as probable first seeds, meaning they would have to overcome either Turkey, Montenegro, Estonia or Bosnia to qualify for the European Championship finals.

That’s the reward for a victory which owed much to a huge helping of luck when Roman Berezovksy was sent off in the first half for handball, despite the fact that Simon Cox had used his own arm to bring the ball under control as he found himself face to face with the keeper just outside the Armenian box.

As Trapattoni’s team prepares for another play-off, let this be the last time we hear Irish football bleat about the Hand of Gaul.

But the Irish were also forced to pay a heavy penalty last night, after referee Eduardo Gonzalez got another big decision wrong when, as if deciding to even up the numbers, he sent Kevin Doyle off for a second bookable offence for what seemed nothing worse than routine use of the arm in seeking leverage to win the ball in the air.

It was the second yellow for the Wolves man on the night and he now misses the first leg of the play-offs, something which is likely to see Ireland minus their two first-choice strikers unless Robbie Keane confounds expectation by beating the injury clock.

Last night’s early evening drama began with a video replay of Irish football’s greatest hits on the big screen, even as the teams were already lined-up on the pitch awaiting the national anthems. But all too quickly, the beloved past gave way to the all too familiar present, Ireland offering one minute of attacking promise before the Armenians began to boss possession, moving the ball around sweetly while, on the odd occasion they got it back, Ireland struggled to keep it.

The contrast in styles was acute, the Armenian attacking threat always based on swift, one-touch passing, while Ireland relied on a long ball game with Simon Cox looking to get on the end of Kevin Doyle’s headed flick-ons.

Otherwise, Damien Duff, as ever, was doing his best to pull something out of his bag of tricks whereas, in the opening 20 minutes, Aiden McGeady on the other flank hardly saw anything of the ball.

Berezovsky lost his head with hugely costly results for his team in the 25th minute, the Armenian keeper shown a red card for handling outside the box as he looked to prevent Cox getting an attempted lob over him.

In fact, the West Brom striker used his own arm to bring the ball under control, only deepening the irony of a game-changing moment.

Yet, even against ten men, Ireland still struggled to impose themselves. But then came another slice of luck, when Duff’s great low ball across the face of goal produced an extravagant attempt at a flick by Doyle which, although unsuccessful, so outfoxed Valeri Aleksanyan at the far post that he put through his own goal.

The second half seemed made for the introduction of Stephen Hunt and Shane Long, two players whose energy and commitment would have been perfect for exploiting opposition fatigue.

But Trapattoni’s have-what-we-hold mentality prevailed though, in fairness, there was a welcome increase in tempo from the players already on the pitch as, for the first time, Ireland began to shown signs of exploiting the extra space afforded them.

And there was more composure too in possession, as the Armenians were forced to put in a lot of hard yards.

The second goal came just short of the hour mark and no-one would begrudge the Richard Dunne his simple close-range finish, even if flapping substitute keeper Petrosyan — a debutant on the night virtually handed it on a plate to the hero of Moscow.

Yet it wouldn’t be Ireland unless they made things hard for themselves, a lack of concentration at the back allowing Henrik Mkhitarayn to reduce the deficit just a couple of minutes later.

The goal lifted Armenians spirits to such an extent that Ireland again lost their way, as the visitors began to attack again with menace, the home defence suffering a number of unnecessarily nervous moments given the team’s position of numerical strength.

TEN minutes from the end even that advantage was snuffed out when the Spanish referee harshly showed Doyle a second yellow card follow by a red for what he deemed use of the elbow – a decision with potentially costly implications next month.

And the night’s scales of injustice were then balanced out when substitute Stephen Hunt, after a typically penetrating run, was sent tumbling in the box by Petrosyan’s dive but the referee waved play on before the final whistle blew to relief, as much as celebration, around the ground.

There has been much talk about Giovanni Trapattoni as a lucky general. But football is not the Lotto and although last night’s game brought that record run of clean sheets to an end, eight zeros in a row has to be down to more than pot luck.

In fairness to the manager his way continues to work, up to a point, especially considering that the players available to him aren’t, in the main, of the world-beating kind.

It’s Trapattoni’s unwavering faith in his system which explains decisions which appear eccentric to most everyone else. When he opted for Cox ahead of Shane Long last night, it was vivid confirmation that he chooses not necessarily the best players nor even the most in-form ones, but the ones who have already shown they can work the system to best effect. And, it has to be acknowledged, the man who can’t get his game for West Brom was indeed one of Ireland’s best performers.

In the end, last night was almost the gospel according to Trapattoni, a reminder that in his world, the show will always play second-fiddle to the result.

Subs for Rep of Ireland: Hunt for McGeady 68, Fahey for Whelan, Walters for Cox 80.

Subs for Armenia: Petrosyan for Malakyan 28, Manucharyan for Pizelli 53, Sarkisov for Ghazaryan.

Ref: Eli Hacmon (Israel).