As it happened: Ireland's World Cup hopes all but over after horror show in Armenia
Armenia's Grant-Leon Ranos celebrates after scoring his side's second goal. Pic: AP Photo/Hakob Berberyan.
Ireland are already playing catch-up in their World Cup playoff chase after deservedly losing their second qualifier to an Armenian side ranked 105th in the world.
To read the rest of John Fallon's match report from Yerevan, click here.
Only the third time in Ireland's history they have been beaten by a side outside the top 90 in the FIFA rankings since they began.
Shay Given on RTÉ: Lost for words, to be honest. The subtitutions at half time, tactically, I felt it was worse in the second half. The gaps in midfield were huge.
"2-1 to Armenia flattered us. I don't know what to say, I'm a wee bit in shock, to be honest. That's one of the worst results in our history.
"It's a new low for the country."
And that's that. Armenia deservedly win 2-1 and the Republic of Ireland's hopes of reaching the World Cup in America, Canada and Mexico next summer are over.
So many poor performances in the Ireland team but Armenia deserve credit as well.
Ireland now bottom of the group with a trip to Lisbon to take on Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal to come next in October.
Free for Ireland out on the left. Johnston's delivery is poor.
Long throw-in into the box almost breaks Ireland's way but Armenia clear.
Just a quick reminder that the Ireland U21s also have a must win match tonight. To find out more, click on the link below.
There was six minutes added on but should be a couple more now because of the VAR check.
Shame for Armenia, doesn't make too much of a difference really.
Brilliant goal. Well deserved. Superb curling finish by Artur Serobyan but the defending is absolutely dreadful. Weak challenge by Collins, Scales doesn't get close enough but Serobyan finishes well.
Armenia just cut through Ireland's midfield with ease. Kelleher again needed to make the save low to his right. Could be 5-1 here but for the Cork keeper.
Good chance Kelleher ends up being Ireland's man of the match yet again as he stops Tiknizyan's free. In fairness, I thought Manning should've got it against Hungary.
75mins Great strike by Manning from the edge of the box, through a crowd but the keeper gets down to it.
Armenia twice go close to scoring. Terrible defending but a great pass in behind and Kelleher makes the save again to deny Tiknizyan. Armenia keep the pressure on and a shot deflects out for a corner which comes to nothing.
Mikey Johnston and Killian Phillips on for Ireland in place of Finn Azaz and Josh Cullen.
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Short free sent to the back post but O'Shea's header is weak and easily claimed by the keeper.
Poor from Collins and Kelleher is called upon to make the save. Collins struggling anytime the ball is chipped in behind him. Not the player we usually see at Brentford.
How many more times is the commenator going to mention where Armenia are ranked in the world? As if Ireland are ranked in the top 10 or something. Armenia have some decent players and are clearly fighting like mad to make up for their hammering by Portugal at the weekend.
That said, Ireland have been poor but it's as if he expected Ireland to beat them like Portugal did.
Anyway. I digress.
Decent move down the right by Ireland but the keeper claims Knight's cross.
Lifeline for Ireland. Idah's pass, misses it's intended target but falls to Fergsuon who buries it into the far bottom right corner. Game on.
Game on? Evan Ferguson makes it 2-1. pic.twitter.com/ArgTeOf4uC
— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) September 9, 2025
Armenia look the team more likely to score again. Ranos sends a shot from miles out wide.
Could be offside but a great move by Armenia, something Ireland look unable to produce.
VAR check but the goal stands. Lovely move, defence splitting pass in behind Jake O'Brien, squared to Ranos who blasts it into the roof of the net from a few yards out.
Was Heimir reading this liveblog during the break. Off come Ogbene and Taylor, on come Idah and McAteer.
And their fans go wild!
— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) September 9, 2025
Half time: Armenia 1 Ireland 0. pic.twitter.com/kqTRsK57lE
Another big half time talk needed by Heimir Hallgrimsson. Armenia deserving of their lead, clearly well up for it after their heavy defeat at home to Portugal at the weekend. But Ireland poor. Shown glimpses but nowhere near good enough.
Need to question Hallgrimsson's starting 11 again. Ogbene doesn't look fully fit and Taylor hasn't offered much.
Penalty given. Eduard Spertsyan to take.
VAR checking it but it looks like a foul from Collins as he attempted to cut out the cross.
Their keeper looks shakey yet Ireland haven't troubled him much, at all.
Just as I said it, Dara O'Shea appears to trip up on the pitch, the ball is centred from the endline and after Ranos sees his goalbound strike blocked by Collins, the attacker regains the loose ball and sends it crashing against the bar. Huge let off.
Another big chance for Ireland. Jake O'Brien whips in a superb cross from the right wing, picks out the head of Collins at the back post but he can't keep his effort down.
For someone so dominant in the air defensively, he needs to do more in the air offensively.
Big chance for Ireland. Ferguson does brilliantly. Shrugs off his man, helps it on to Taylor, had Taylor gone down he would surely have got a penalty.
Nonetheless he stays on his feet, gets his shot away but it's saved by the feet of the keeeper.
Ferguson still down after getting absolutely clattered by Sergei Muradian. He seems to be alright. How on earth is it an Armenia throw-in though? If he didn't get the ball then it's 100% a free, and a card.
Seeing as there were people calling for Ireland to learn the dark arts after the weekend....
The dark arts... pic.twitter.com/3wJURBuy8O
— Kieran Cunningham (@KCsixtyseven) September 9, 2025
Just a quick reminder that the Ireland U21s also have a must win match tonight. To find out more, click on the link below.
Caoimhin Kelleher makes a save to stop Zelarayan's swerving shot from finding the roof of the net. Much better this from the home side.
A drilled free from Lucas Zelarayan goes over the head of everyone and straight out of play.
Taylor now with a foul and Armenia have a free on the left win. A chance to cross it in from deep.
Ireland now with defending to do. They clear their lines on a couple of occasions and then look to break. But a loose pass from Taylor ends the counter attack.
Bit of a waste that. Corner to the back post headed wide by Ogbene but he was in acres of space, should've done better with that.
Great turn by Jack Taylor in midfield. Evan Ferguson looking really sharp. Ireland have a corner.
Ireland so close to taking the lead. A mistake from the 36-year-old goalkeeper, who spills the ball at Ferguson's feet but the Roma's striker's clever floated effort is headed off the line by the alert Piloyan.
Good start this by Ireland.
We are underway and Ireland almost make a dream start but Finn Azaz's shot on the turn from the edge of the penalty area is saved.
Reminder Armenia goalkeeper Henri Avagyan got injured on Saturday against Portugal so in comes Ognjen Čančarević of local club Noah. Serbian-born, he turns 36 later this month.
Amhrán na bhFiann rings around the stadium pic.twitter.com/NLcqcnIFdr
— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) September 9, 2025
Now it's the turn of the home side.
The teams are out, time for the anthems. Starting with the visitors.
The teams are in the tunnel, almost time for kick-off.
Anything other than three points would be a disaster according to Shay Given, who speaks for us all really.
Here's a reminder of the Ireland team and subs.
Republic of Ireland: Kelleher, O'Brien, O'Shea, Collins, Manning, Cullen, Knight, Taylor, Azaz, Ogbene, Ferguson.
Subs: Bazunu, Travers, Dunne, Scales, Lawal, Phillips, Doherty, Honohan, Johnston, McAteer, Idah, Kenny.
Just a quick note that Nathan Collins, Josh Cullen and Evan Ferguson are all on a yellow card coming into this game, one more and they'll be suspended for the next game which is *checks notes* oh right, Portugal away.
🗣️ “We’re focused on the positives from the Hungary game & taking all the good things we did in the second half”
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) September 9, 2025
Heimir Hallgrímsson gives his thoughts on tonight’s game ahead of kick-off 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/errBeYBF18
Shay Given and Kevin Doyle in the RTÉ Stadio. Given say he likes seeing Ogbene coming in, "a positive change" for a game that "won't be easy."
Doyle understands Matt Doherty dropping to the bench as "he didn't cover himself in glory" against Hungary.
Armenia goalkeeper Henri Avagyan got injured on Saturday against Portugal.
In comes Ognjen Čančarević of local club Noah. Serbian-born, he turns 36 later this month.
Fan still streaming into the stadium in Yerevan ahead of kick-off, which is less than half an hour away now pic.twitter.com/72b52siOTo
— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) September 9, 2025
Makes his 20th appearance and first since the 6-1 hammering by Georgia in the March Uefa Nations League C/D playoff.
We are just 45 minutes away from kick-off now and our reporter John Fallon has brought us this video to set the scene
Our reporter @JFallonExaminer looks ahead to Ireland's crucial qualifier against Armenia as kick-off approaches. pic.twitter.com/JXIGpM22U2
— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) September 9, 2025
Here we go again, we're on the road again.
We're on the road again, we're on our way, to.... the 2026 World Cup?
Time will tell although if the Republic of Ireland fail to win away to Armenia tonight then the answer to that question will surely be a "No!" by 7pm.
But lets stay positive until then at least.
My name is Andrew Horgan and I will be talking you all through the best of the action as Ireland aim to keep their World Cup dream alive.
John Fallon is at the Republican Stadium in Yerevan for us and he will be chipping in with some insight before sending us the best of the analysis and reaction from Ireland's second qualifier.
But until then, feel free to read the best of the previews ahead of kick-off at 5pm.
John Fallon's Postcard from Yerevan: Times are changing but car choices remain unchanged.
Heimir Hallgrimsson: 'It would be kind of silly to underestimate anyone when we are playing'.
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