Late Parrott strike earns O'Shea his moment
LATE, LATE SHOW: Ireland's Troy Parrott celebrates after scoring the winning goal. Pic: Nick Elliott, PA
Johnny’s Winning Matches is the catchphrase Ireland’s stand-in boss can borrow to push for the permanent gig.
It’s two years since Ireland beat a team of note when they slayed Scotland and this late win – clinched by substitute Troy Parrott in stoppage time – will have most significance for John O’Shea’s job credentials.
Adam Idah’s headed opener maintained a run of him scoring Ireland’s four home goals in a row and, while Euros-bound Hungary equalised five minutes later through Adam Lang, Parrott raced clear to make it 2-1.
He was back in his box defending a Hungary corner when springing a counterattack that put him clear against sub keeper Denes Dibusz.
Instead of squaring to Sammie Szmodics, the striker in his form was entitled to be selfish and his shot crept past the goalkeeper into the corner.
Onto Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo Ireland go in Aveiro next Tuesday but the clamour to appoint O’Shea and end the FAI’s botched search will surge as the Nations League opener against England on September 7 comes into view.
Experimentation was never the intention for O’Shea, particularly when he’s immersed in an audition for the big gig, meaning the alterations were minimal and practical.
Shane Duffy’s pending court case for drinking driving had been dismissed by the caretaker boss as a showstopper to him resuming his international career after missing the March window due to injury.
Matt Doherty was another of the 1992-born crew missing for those pair of friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland but that was voluntary.
He was restored to his familiar right wing-back berth for this one, clearly with the intention of counteracting the pace of Bournemouth’s flyer Milos Kerkez.
Finn Azaz’s reward for making an impact on his debut in a substitute cameo against the Swiss was promotion to the starting team, partnering Hungary-eligible Szmodics in the duo operating off sole striker Idah.
Evan Ferguson’s emergence in the past 18 months ought to have jolted Idah into belated form for his country and he’s now delivered in spades.
It wasn’t veering in that direction during the early exchanges. Whereas the Magyars had the look of a team bound by the cohesion and consistency that underpinned a 14-match unbeaten run, Ireland were ragged in possession.
Hungary are what Ireland want to be; a middling nation proficient in beating the lower nations and capable of overturning superpowers such as England and Germany in recent times.
Back in June 2020, they were 52nd in the world and now sit 24. Over the same timeframe, Ireland sank from 32 to 60. Hopefully, this begins to eradicate that slide.
Josh Cullen could be excused for his first-half sloppiness, given he’s only days a newly-wed, but he was the imparting gifts. On the half hour, he was too easily brushed aside in midfield, allowing the visitors to break at pace.
Dominik Szoboszlai spotted Kerkez charging up the outside and the layoff led to a shot which Caoimhín Kelleher had to turn around his near post.
The goalkeeper, seemingly about to leave Szoboszlai at Liverpool, was mightily relieved to see Loic Nego scuff his volley straight at him after Hungary took just 70 seconds to infiltrate through Roland Sallai down the right side.
Ireland were vulnerable in the area, summarised by a back-peddling Duffy being skinned by Varga on 12 minutes. His cross for Nego was perfect but the finish wasn’t, scooped high and wide from just eight yards.
Robbie Brady’s crosses were again relied on to spark the hosts into action, only a couple of his curlers were cleared, at least in the early stages.
Idah was attempting the more central route; his 18th minute dash into the box curtailed by Adam Lang’s bodycheck. One of those incidents that would be a foul in any other part of the pitch but not a penalty, moreso at such an early stage.
Against the run of play, it has to be said, Idah managed to nod Ireland into the lead.
Hungary appeared to be well set up to clear any danger when Doherty rolled the ball into the path of Will Smallbone near the right corner flag but such was the ferocity and precision of the cross that Lang and Willi Orban were caught square by giving Idah he free header he thumped past Peter Gulacsi from six yards.
It was the end of a barren run for Ireland but the continuation of a purple patch for Idah.
Similar to some of his previous ones against the Netherlands and New Zealand, Ireland couldn’t keep hold of the lead he provided.
Just a free-kick by Xherdan Shaqiri had made the difference in the two March games and while O’Shea took consolation from not conceding in open play, another set-piece goal against will annoy him.
Once Ireland switched off from a free-kick just inside their half, Adam Nagy teed up Dominik Szoboszlai to advance and his cross took a wicked deflection off Azaz.
Orban was first to the looping ball and though Ireland appealed for offside from his flick-on, it was others aside from Adam Lang who strayed and the defender applied his close-range volley into the roof of Kelleher’s net.
Contrasted with the last pair of games, where Ireland mustered one effort on target in each, the openness facilitated attacks at both ends.
Szoboszlai even tried to embarrass Kelleher with a speculative 40-yard that drifted well off target.
Two interval changes, both defensive, saw Jake O’Brien make his full debut and the three-man unit were tested as the Magyars assumed control.
After Barnabas Varga angled his header over, Sallai turned onto left foot to force Kelleher into a one handed save on 57 minutes.
The stopper was a safe pair of hands again from the resultant corner, shifted short to Andras Schafer, whose stinging drive was gathered by the Corkman.
Parrott was only on the pitch when he got involved in a skirmish with Szoboszlai, resulting in both himself and Séamus Coleman booked.
So much for neighbourly friendship between the pair.
By the end Coleman was up the pitch flashing a shot wide of the post before belying his 35 years by scampering back to thwart Zsolt Nagy as the substitute was poised to shoot from close range.
A younger set of legs eventually supplied the decisive moment.
C Kelleher; S Coleman, S Duffy (J O’Brien 46), D O‘Shea (L Scales 46); M Doherty, W Smallbone (J Knight 79) , J Cullen, R Brady (C O’Dowda 62); S Szmodics, F Azaz (T Parrott 62); A Idah (M Obafemi 71).
P Gulacsi (D Dibusz 46); A Lang (B Balogh 73), W Orban, M Dardai; L Nego (E Botka 46), A Nagy, A Schafer (C Styles 71), M Kerkez (Z Nagy 71); D Szoboszlai, R Sallai; B Varga (L Kleinheisler 61).
Luis Godinho (POR).
29,424.
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