Ireland fail to score in defeat to weakened Ukraine side
8 June 2022; Josh Cullen of Republic of Ireland after his side's defeat in the UEFA Nations League B group 1 match between Republic of Ireland and Ukraine at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Ukraine inflicted a second straight defeat on Stephen Kenny’s side when Viktor Tsygankov’s curling free-kick proved decisive at the Aviva Stadium to prolong Ireland’s Nations League hoodoo.
The Dynamo Kyiv player was on the pitch less than two minutes after the interval when his inswinger whipped across goal and deceived the backpeddling Caoimhín Kelleher.
This was the first-ever meeting of the nations at senior level but unprecedented for more important and topical reasons. Harrowing accounts of the Russian invasion on domestic life, as articulated in the eve of the fixture by coach Oleksandr Petrakov and especially stand-in skipper Sergiy Sydorchuk explained that this was no ordinary international team.
The FAI did their bit to ease the pain by inviting 3,500 Ukrainian native who’ve made Ireland their temporary home to the game and their presence – mostly women and children – brought with it a poignancy previously unseen at the Aviva Stadium. That sense of patriotism was apparent on the pitch too when the visitors emerged for the national anthem each draped with the yellow and blue flag that has become a symbol for solidarity in most countries around the world. It’s unlikely an opponents’ national anthem will be cheered as loudly by the home supporters ever again.
Russia’s bombardment brought the domestic league to a halt in February, forcing Petrakov to reassemble his idle players in the peaceful surrounds of Slovenia in late April. That commitment was always going to be rewarded by the management and, loyal to his squad, 10 changes were rung. Citing the mental and physical exhaustion of two World Cup play-off games in four days, the latest being Sunday’s defeat in Wales, Everton recruit Vitalii Mykolenko was the only survivor.
Star strikers Roman Yaremchuk and Andriy Yarmolenko, armed with 58 goals between them, were excused from the matchday squad. We can only assume Petrakov saw enough within Ireland’s disaster in Armenia to believe his second string were capable of completing the job.
For the second successive game, Kenny was caught off-guard by opposition tactics – Ukraine deviating from the 4-3-3 format he’d flagged as their bedrock. Although Real Madrid back-up goalkeeper Andriy Lunin and his three defenders were all 23 and under, they displayed sufficient guile and maturity to marshal Ireland’s attack. A boss like Petrakov, who had three of the four in his triumphant 2019 U20 World Cup winning squad, has no qualms about revamping his entire rearguard.
It for the overhauled look to the Ukraine side that Ireland saw themselves cast into the unusual position of pre-match favourites against the group’s top seeds.
Ireland wore the tag with aplomb in the early stages, especially the only unenforced newcomer Jason Knight. His drive from his own half just inside the opening 60 seconds got the crowd on their feet and he worked his way into the box two minutes later, only to scuff his shot. He properly tested the Lunin on 10 by dropping into space and spearing a 20-yard effort towards the near post that the stopper turned away for a corner.
In a reversal of Saturday’s offering in Yerevan, Ireland were second best for the remainder of the half. The tricky Mykhailo Mudryk began to get some joy slipping between the lines and suffered from indecision when near the goal while Mykolenko and Dovbyk blazed shots wide when they had room to advance. Oleksandr Zubkov did find the target on the half hour but without the accuracy to trouble Kelleher.
Callum Robinson, so hot in an Ireland jersey at the tailend of last year, has struggled in this one and his frivolous claim for a penalty on 33 minutes when he went sprawling following the faintest of touches by Valeriy Bondar.
Referee Filip Glova was having none of it and he seemed fine with allowing Taras Kacharaba’s looped volley into Kelleher’s top corner stand five minutes later. That was until the Dutch officials in the VAR room adjudged Artem Dovbyk had strayed marginally offside in the build-up rather than for a foul by the scorer in brushing off Knight.
Ireland were devoid of ideas, dependent of Josh Cullen corner and frees into the box aimed at Duffy, and it soon cost them after the restart.
Tsygankov, on as interval substitute, sent his free-kick from the right touchline into the box and beyond the helpless grasp of Kelleher. Had they not have scored, Ukraine may have instead won a penalty for John Egan had floored Dovbyk with the ball in midair.
It might have got worse two minutes later when Artem Dovbyk outmuscled Duffy in a footrace. The Nottingham Forest striker had the composure to feign his shot to take out Egan too but there to block a thunderous shot was the blossoming Nathan Collins.
Ireland still had plenty of time but not the wherewithal to stage a comeback. As is customary, Duffy was the chief threat, planting a 52nd Duffy header straight at the goalkeeper before shooting at fresh air on 74 following a knockdown by Ogbene.
The Derryman went closer 11 minutes from the end, denied only by a Lunin’s fingertip save onto the crossbar. Obafemi, on as sub, couldn’t angle his header goalward from the resulting corner.
Amid a late scramble, Jason Knight volleyed over but Ukraine got even nearer, Tsygankov seeing his effort rebound for a corner in the last action.
C Kelleher; N Collins, S Duffy, J Egan (inj - D O’Shea 62); C Christie (A Browne 69), J Hendrick, J Cullen, E Stevens (J McClean 69); J Knight, C Robinson (M Obafemi 69), C Ogbene (CJ Hamilton 78).
A Lunin; D Popov, V Bondar, O Syrota; T Kacharaba; S Sydorchuk (D Ignatenko 89), M Shaparenko, V Mykolenko; A Zubkov (V Tsygankov 46), A Dovbyk (D Sikan 80), M Mudryk (O Pikhalyonok 73).
Filip Glova (SVK)
40,111.
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