Change needs time but that is in short supply for toothless Ireland
Juhani Ojala, Tim Sparv, Nikolai Alho and Leo Väisänen celebrate following the UEFA Nations League B match between Republic of Ireland and Finland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
If the draw in Sofia three days ago was a tentative step forward for Stephen Kenny's Republic of Ireland then this shows just how much further the team has to go.
Shane Duffy had a chance to replicate his heroics in Sofia with another late header that could have cancelled out Fredrick Jensen's 65th-minute opener but a goal then would have been an act of thievery after a disappointing, tame effort from the home side.
Ireland were too ponderous going forward and too open at the back. Both had been issues in the 1-1 draw against Bulgaria but Finland were better than the Eastern Europeans and probably should have won by more.
That there should be teething problems in Kenny's efforts to instill a new style was to be expected but the former Dundalk boss acknowledged the need for results prior to his opening game this week and the failure to garner a win, or score more than one goal, is not the start he would have wished for.
It leaves the Republic with just one point from their opening two games in League B, Group 4 of the Nations League and the new manager with plenty to ponder ahead of the Euro 2020 playoff away to Slovakia next month.
The manager had spoken of the need to balance continuity with the opportunity to see some new auditions ahead of the game and he ticked both boxes by keeping the same goalkeeper, back four and front three from the side that drew in Bulgaria.
The midfield was entirely new, Harry Arter, Jayson Molumby and Robbie Brady slotting in and Jeff Hendrick, James McCarthy and Conor Hourihane making way. For Molumby, captain of the U21s under Kenny, it was a senior debut.
Finland made three changes of their own to the side that lost 1-0 to Wales in Helsinki three days ago. Those coming in were short on experience, Nikolai Alho and Nicholas Hamalainen bringing just two caps to the table and Robert Taylor barely into double figures.
Manager Markku Kanerva also had to cope with a late complication with centre-back Sauli Vaisanen staying at home to be with his wife who is expecting their first child but Finland hadn't much defending to do, especially in the first-half.
As was the case in Bulgaria, Ireland clocked up more passes, though only just this time. Problem is they did little to nothing with most of them and this despite Kenny's concession yesterday that the team needed to be more incisive with their use of the ball second time out.
Ireland were toothless for the opening 45. They played with no tempo, almost no-one tried to play between the lines and far too many of the players were motionless when a teammate was on the ball. Adam Idah was one exception in that while Molumby was busy in general.
The Finns looked far better and much more dangerous. That Teemu Pukki should be central to this was no surprise given his performances for Norwich City this last two years and he was a regular concern in a troubling first quarter for the hosts and then throughout.
It was Pukki who had the half's best chance, latching on to a nice through ball by Taylor that caught Shane Duffy completely flat-footed. Thankfully for the Irish skipper, Darren Randolph was more attuned to the danger and his rapid advance produced a crucial save.
Randolph's counterpart, Lukas Hradecky, had next to nothing to do until late in the evening. His only job up to the break was a well-struck Harry Arter shot from distance that was came straight at him. Kenny had a lot to get through as the teams halted for the break.
Ireland finally began to show some bite on the restart. Aaron Connolly found the side netting after a delicious flick by Idah on 56 minutes and the Republic put their best move of the night together shortly after when O'Dowda zipped a shot wide from distance.
Then Finland scored. Fredrik Jensen was on the pitch 25 seconds when he slid the ball in at the far post, Taylor beating the offside trap down the Irish right-hand side and running on to a Pukki through ball before playing the killer pass.
It left Ireland with 25 minutes to find an equaliser but they had two gilt-edged chances in the blink of an eye, David McGoldrick and Aaron Connolly both miscuing a Callum Robinson cross and then McGoldrick taking too long with the ball at his feet in the Finland penalty box.
The game was at least opening up now. Connolly and Robinson, who made an impact off the bench, both had efforts saved but Finland threatened far more over the next 15 minutes with Taylor, Pukki and Nikolai Alho all demanding interventions from Randolph.
Arter did manage a shot that Hradecky brushed around his post close to the end and it was then that Duffy sent a very good chance high over the bar. It was probably a fitting end to a bad night at an empty Aviva Stadium for the hosts.
D Randolph; M Doherty, S Duffy, J Egan, E Stevens; H Arter, J Molumby, R Brady; C O'Dowda, A Idah, A Connolly.
C Robinson for O'Dowda (59); D McGoldrick for Idah (66); J McClean for Conolly (77).
L Hradecky; L Vaisanan, J Ojala, D O'Shaughnessy; N Alho, G Kamara, T Sparv, R Taylor, N Hamalainen; T Pukki, J Pohjanpalo.
F Jensen for Pohjanpalo (63); J Uronen for Hamalainen (79); R Karjalainen for Pukki (91).
: F Maresca (Italy).
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