Another defeat for Stephen Kenny's Ireland as Dutch fight back in Dublin
UNDER PRESSURE: Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
From sweet to bitter, the taste and flashes of orange screamed danger for the Stephen Kenny era.
Defeats to France on Thursday and Netherlands last night mothball this Euro campaign with three qualifiers remaining but the stability of the manager’s tenure crumbled in the June defeat in Greece.
Ditto Luxembourg for the World Cup tilt and Armenia when it came to the Nations League group he seriously felt Ireland were capable of topping.
For a 14-minute spell here, the reprieve Kenny yearned for and saw coming seemed possible.
Adam Idah’s second international goal from the penalty spot had Aviva Stadium rocking but it was Kenny's rockier defence that committed a couple of lapses to hand the Dutch a comfortable victory.
It was unfortunately Shane Duffy, made captain ahead of John Egan on his first home appearance since June 2022, who was partially culpable for both.
His decision to stay behind the rest of his defenders kept Denzel Dumfries onside twice. That led to the penalty from which Cody Gapko equalised and the cushioned header across the six-yard box for substitute Wout Weghorst to prod home.
There was no late Duffy cameo to rescue Kenny here, as he’d done against Bulgaria and Azerbaijan. A stoppage-time corner telegraphed for his towering frame was read perfectly by Virgil Van Dijk, who took ball and man when clearing the danger.
A late equalliser wouldn’t have done much for Kenny’s job security. An FAI board meeting in plenty of time before next month’s double-header against Greece and Gibraltar is set to halt his record at five wins from 26 competitive matches.
Even the Nations League backdoor route next March to the finals appears closed after Albania’s win over Poland.
Kenny’s two changes to the team were both in the wing-back department and both made their presence felt in a barnstorming first-half.
A calf injury sustained by Enda Stevens against France opened up the left berth that James McClean claimed ahead of Ryan Manning despite these days operating in the fourth tier of English football.
Matt Doherty was also bound to return from the extra suspension he served in midweek, allowing Alan Browne to be reinstated to his favoured midfield role.
Doherty, with his socks rolled down, mullet and wearing No 10 on his back appeared more like a striker in the Mo Johnston vein and it was his attacking instincts that turbo-drove Ireland’s blistering start.
Whether it was the adrenaline from the crowd or in desperation for the essential win, Ireland were at it from the off and aided by a Dutch side who felt it acceptable to showcase their modern version of Total Football.
That would be well, good and entertaining were it in the appropriate areas but within a minute goalkeeper Mark Flekken decided a pass to Frenkie de Jong eight yards facing his own goal was the cue to start a passage of play.
Unsurprisingly, pressing from Alan Browne retrieved the ball and when it broke loose to Idah, he teed up Chiedozie Ogbene. A goal germinated in Cork seemed imminent but his shot off-balance was blocked by Mats Wieffer.
Anguish soon turned to adulation, for McClean’s excellent inswinging corner enabled Duffy to apply a flick-on that struck the arm of Van Dijk. For all the captain’s protests about the contact being natural, VAR validated the referee’s decision and Idah rifled the spot-kick into the bottom left corner, sending Flekken the wrong way.
Van Dijk avoided his goalkeeper being tested by a 13th-minute header that his intervention took the sting of but either side of that chance the Dutch were beginning to signal their threat. Xavi Simons on the inside channel came alive but it was the wingback operating deeper who inflicted the carnage.
His night looked to be over when clutching the ankle McClean planted his boot on but Dumfries arose gingerly, jabbed his finger at his assailant and soon executed his vow to inflict revenge.
Cody Gapko made it happen on 17 minutes, gifted possession by Doherty diverting a header directly into the centre circle.
Van Dijk’s Liverpool teammate duly profited by dissecting the Irish defence with a pass that Dumfries latched onto and when his attempt at rounding Gavin Bazunu saw him dragged to the ground, the resultant spot-kick and yellow card ensued.
Bazunu was close to repeating his heroics of two years ago but couldn’t get the force on his block that he did against Cristiano Ronaldo to keep Gapko’s low sidefooter nestling in the bottom corner.
In contrast to the visitors’ ploy of utilising the flanks, Ireland still gained a measure of joy from set-pieces and the consequences of Dutch dallying.
Donyell Malen, the Borussia Dortmund striker chosen ahead of Wout Weghorst, twice hared into the box to unleash shots on goal. On both occasions, Bazunu was equal, his second more impressively by an outstretched leg.
Browne whipped his free-kick a yard wide of the near post while his fellow Leesider Ogbene was again presented with an opportunity to punish overplaying by the goalkeeper from his former club Brentford. This time, Nathan Aké was the flying Dutchman to block the livewire.
Ronald Koeman had seen enough end-to-end warfare to decide on reverting to his default 4-3-3 formation.
That entailed a double-change at the break, and while the sight of Weghorst may have drawn ridicule from the home crowd for his inauspicious loan stint at Manchester United, he was still too hot for Ireland to handle.
When it comes to the cold reality, Ireland couldn’t sustain the intensity of the opening half hours, in part attributable to the energy expended chasing shadows 72 hours earlier earlier in the Parisen humidity. Browne and Egan had both made way with 20 minutes remaining. There were bigger cheers from the south stand for the pitch-invaders at the end dodging stewards to obtain selfies with the Dutch stars.
Moments before the decisive goal arrived, Browne tracked back to foil Simons as he was poised to convert.
That wasn’t the case for the winner, one touch from three different players sufficient to unlock the defence.
Free and easy, the way opposition teams have picked off this brittle Irish side. A fresh set of eyes and ears will have the job of eradicating fundamental flaws.
Gavin Bazunu; Nathan Collins, Shane Duffy, John Egan (Jamie McGrath 74); Matt Doherty (Festy Ebosele 87), Josh Cullen, Alan Browne (Will Smallbone 73), James McClean (Ryan Manning 64); Chiedozie Ogbene, Jason Knight (Sinclair Armstrong 87); Adam Idah.
Mark Flekken; Matthijs de Ligt, Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Aké; Denzel Dumphries, Frenkie de Jong, Mats Wieffer (Tijjani Reijnders 46), Daley Blind (Wout Weghorst 46).; Xavi Simons (Steven Berghuis 89), Cody Gapko (Noa Lang 81); Donyell Malen (Teun Koopmeiners 68).
Irfan Peljto (BIH).
49,807.
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