Ireland end losing run with comfortable victory against Gibraltar
FOUR-MIDABLE: Ireland's Callum Robinson celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal with teammates. Pic Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
No drama, as Gus Poyet cited last Friday, transferred to Ireland as they scored twice in each half to sink Gibraltar at the venue designed like a ship.
Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline belted out into the Faro night-sky at full-time but the line ‘good times never so good’ was sung more in name than intention by fans aware the extravaganza in Germany will take place next summer without them.
Evan Ferguson and Mikey Johnston, who both scored in the second-half blitz over the 198th ranked team in June, scored inside the opening half, added to by Matt Doherty’s header on the hour and another from substitute Callum Robinson’s with 10 minutes left.
Not even VAR checks on three of Ireland goals could prevent a rare stress-free evening for Stephen Kenny but this was an irrelevance in the context of his job security. Muted goals celebrations, on the pitch anyway, told the truth about the academic nature of Kenny’s sixth win in 28 competitive matches.
Wins elsewhere, for Netherlands in Ireland’s group, and Portugal and Slovakia in another, quash for once the remote chance of a backdoor route via the playoffs. Relying on Iceland to peak at the death by beating Slovakia and Portugal, plus overhaul their goal difference deficit, is the sole permutation left.
There was more to lose than gain from this mismatch but the opportunity of working towards the future, even for a new manager’s gaze, was snubbed.
A decade of Séamus Coleman and Doherty dominating the right-back berth is nearing completion and a worthy successor in Festy Ebosele has emerged. The displays in Serie A of the Udinese defender, who only recently turned 21, merited inclusion in the circumstances but he was again overlooked.
The wisdom of giving Gavin Bazunu one of the quietest nights he’ll surely experience over his international career was debatable too when Mark Travers was available. Both are operating on the same level as Championship regulars, so rewarding the loyalty of Travers for this most pedestrian of exercises was due.
It was a game, however, made for Johnston. He was one of just four players in the line-up not to have previously featured in the League of Ireland but came into the side as one of three alternations to the selection beaten 2-0 by Greece on Friday.
Johnston’s repertoire is heavy on skill and sleekness; his lack of gametime at Celtic since recovering from a back injury secondary to the imperative of avoiding the ultimate slip-up.
Up against Jack Sergeant on the left of a 4-2-3-1 formation, it was inevitable his creativity would expose a team composed mainly of part-timers.
Seven starters were based in the Gibraltarian domestic league, with their two representatives from England playing for Wycombe Wanderers and Kings Lynn Town. An altogether different roster to the galaxy of stars Portugal chose for Ireland’s last visit to this arena.
Whereas they were outnumbered in the stands during that Covid-19 period, it was the opposite here against a side domiciled for this campaign outside of their small homeland due to stadium renovations.
On top of the 2,200 tickets sold through the FAI, 900 purchased by neutrals were by the Irish fanbase. As tough as this group was, trips to Paris, Amsterdam. Athens and the Algarve constituted tourism utopia for Irish fans.
They made their presence felt in a predominantly empty stadium despite the inconsequential nature of the fixture, some managing to bring Palestinian flags alone to champion another cause.
Thankfully, there were no surprises to hurtle them off-tune. Gibraltar hardly threatened to end their goalless campaign, conjuring their first attempt on the stroke of the halftime whistle.
Not quite sweet music for the Irish support but sound accompanying any victory will suffice in this prolonged period of gloom.
Gibraltar’s captain Roy Chipolina is 40 years of age, more than double that of striker he was marking, Ferguson. The customs officer lasted only eight minutes before allowing his junior to smuggle the opener, avoiding a repeat of the first-half stalemate in Dublin.
Eight corners were won by Ireland in the opening 45 minutes, most wasted, but they could count on their right-sided combination of Doherty and Chiedozie Ogbene to breach the static backline.
The latter waited patiently for the full-back to sprint beyond two defenders and his pass split the pair, sitting up perfectly for Doherty to deliver a cross.
Ferguson, consistent with his Premier League pedigree, timed his run to deceive Chipolina and his near-post volley was struck into the turf before bouncing up into the top corner.
Nerves settled, Ireland engaged in a bout of keepball but as has been the case through this campaign, the final pass was regularly lacking.
Ryan Manning overhit his pass to fellow full-back Doherty when the gap opened before Duffy was unable to angle his inside the post following Jamie McGrath flick-on from a Johnston corner. Duffy’s frustration was evident by him kicking the ball.
The Celtic flanker would have his own brush with the post for his goal on 28 minutes, shortly after stinging the palms of goalkeeper Dayle Coleing by slaloming inside onto his stronger right foot.
His goal was a replica of the breakthrough. When Josh Cullen rolled a pass to Ogbene on the right touchline, he spotted Doherty pushing infield and the move led to another ball squared across the six-yard box.
Johnston was the recipient, eluding Sergeant to stab his volley onto the post and finish the rebound with his knee.
Ferguson was denied a second by Sergeant as the chances continued to come but the pattern was broken by a novelty drive from Liam Walker that drifted wide and drew mock applause by the green colony.
Two ahead at the break was similar to Greece against the same opponents and the onus was on Ireland to press home their superiority with additional goals in the second half.
Jason Knight twice went close, the nearest with a diving header that strayed off-target.
Doherty would show him the way to execute in that situation on the hour by brushing off Sergeant to nod home the third after McGrath’s flick-on yielded a dividend this time.
Robinson, who replaced Johnston for the final 25, was his lively self and completed the stroll by glancing in his header from a cross which McGrath stood up to the six-yard box.
Try as he did to rouse his supporters, there was a forced feel to it. Blemishes earlier in the year, notably in Athens, rendered this meaningless.
D Coleing; A Mouelhi, J Sergeant, R Chipolina (J Chipolina 81), J Olivero (J Coombes 69); L Annesley, N Pozo (L Casciaro 68); K Ronan (E De Harro 80), L Walker, E Britto; T De Barr (A El Hmidi 69).
G Bazunu; M Doherty, S Duffy, L Scales (D O’Shea 74), R Manning; J Cullen (J Molumby 74), J Knight; C Ogbene (M Sykes 83), J McGrath, M Johnston (C Robinson 66); E Ferguson (A Idah 66).
Christian-Petru Ciochirca (AUT).
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