Ireland lead at break by own goal against ten-man Armenia

Republic of Ireland 1 Armenia 0

Valeri Aleksanyan’s own goal handed the Republic of Ireland a precious lead as 10-man Armenia’s Euro 2012 hopes suffered a major blow.

The defender turned Damien Duff’s 42nd-minute cross into his own net to give Ireland the upper hand on a night when a point would be enough to confirm their place in the play-offs.

Armenia had earlier had keeper Roman Berezovsky sent off for handling Kevin Doyle’s shot outside his penalty area with fortune favouring the Republic.

West Brom striker Simon Cox emerged from the shadows to help lead the Republic of Ireland’s bid for the Euro 2012 play-offs.

Cox had not even expected to be named in the squad after failing to start a Barclays Premier League game this season, but was drafted in by Giovanni Trapattoni as a replacement for injured skipper Robbie Keane for tonight’s Group B showdown with Armenia.

Richard Dunne returned from suspension in place of Darren O’Dea, while Stephen Kelly got the nod at left-back with Stephen Ward banned.

Armenia boss Vardan Minasyan named Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Gevorg Ghazaryan and Yura Movsisyan, who had scored 14 goals between them during the campaign before kick-off – one more than the Republic squad in total – in his starting line-up.

Cox wasted little time in getting himself into the thick of the action and it was his perseverance wide on the right which set up Damien Duff to cross within seconds of kick-off, although his delivery was too strong for Kevin Doyle in the middle.

Trapattoni had asked his players to start at a similar tempo to the game in Andorra on Friday evening, but the in-form Armenians had ideas of their own and dangerman Mkhitaryan whipped a left-footed shot wide of Shay Given’s goal after an enterprising fourth-minute run.

Cox was noticeably dropping deeper when Ireland were not in possession – a concession to the threat posed by the visitors, who arrived in Dublin having scored 11 times in their previous three games.

Armenia were dominating possession as they passed the ball confidently with Marcos Pizzelli orchestrating much of their best work behind lone striker Yura Movsisyan.

However, the Republic’s more prosaic approach almost paid off with 12 minutes gone.

Doyle flicked Given’s clearance into the path of Cox, who found his strike partner with a return pass, but the Wolves frontman fired straight at keeper Roman Berezovsky.

There was a scare for Given two minutes later when Movsisyan got in behind Dunne to run onto a defence-splitting pass, but his touch away from the keeper sent the ball out for a goal-kick.

Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan were working hard in the middle of the field to break up play, while Dunne, the hero of Moscow, was once again at his stubborn best.

Movsisyan chanced his arm from distance with 25 minutes gone, but he dragged his left-footed shot well wide with Given able to watch it sail over the goal-line with little concern.

But the game changed with 26 minutes gone when the visitors were reduced to 10 men.

Doyle reacted quickest to a ball over the top and Berezovsky raced from his penalty area to block the striker’s shot.

After consulting his assistant, Spanish referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez ruled that the keeper had done so with his arm and sent the keeper off despite his protestations that he had used his chest.

Minasyan withdrew holding midfielder Edgar Malakyan to send on substitute keeper Arsen Petrosyan, and the newcomer’s first duty was to watch Aiden McGeady’s 30th-minute free-kick curl just over his crossbar.

Armenia largely maintained their shape with Malakyan’s departure leaving Karlen Mkrtchyan protecting the back four alone in a 4-1-3-1 formation.

The visitors continued to play with adventure and Given scurried anxiously across his goal eight minutes before the break when Pizzelli thumped a left-footed drive from all of 30 yards just a few feet wide.

Whelan and Cox combined well to allow McGeady to run at full-back Sargis Hovsepyan three minutes before the break, but the defender got in a good block.

However, Ireland forced their way in front seconds later when Duff’s driven cross eluded Doyle at the near post, but was diverted into his own net by defender Valeri Aleksanyan at the far end.