Ferguson header keeps Ireland's World Cup hopes alive
NET GAINS: Evan Ferguson heads home Ireland's winning goal. Pic: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Armenia could point to previous red card decisions in Dublin as unjust turning points but can have no complaints about the one which shuttled Ireland to an essential victory.
Evan Ferguson’s winner with 20 minutes left capitalised on that sending off shortly after half-time, sealing three points which at least give Ireland a sliver of hope in the play-off mix heading into next month’s concluding qualifiers against Portugal and Hungary.
Tension was in the air at half-time after Ireland toiled but the dismissal of Tigran Barseghyan, rather than any tactical masterstroke, lay the groundwork for the victory to be delivered.
The ‘shitty’ performance Heimir Hallgrimsson cited as acceptable manifested itself.
Call it cautious or cultured but his decision to stick with a back five was bound to stir debate.
What worked against a Portugal side laced with attacking talent wasn’t necessarily the formula required to accrue a first win of the campaign at the fourth attempt.
Clearly, Hallgrimsson was spooked by what unfolded in Yerevan when the Armenians bossed midfield.
Rather than redeploy Nathan Collins into midfield to stem the flow, he enacted a different version while maintaining continuity from Saturday’s steely showing.
Festy Ebosele retained his place as one of the supports to sole striker Evan Ferguson while Finn Azaz came in for Chiedozie Ogbene.
Both were gamely in the first half but the gaps between the duo and Ferguson were too big for attacks of note to be created.
It also didn’t help that the final pass, be it from Azaz, Ryan Manning or Jayson Molumby, was slack.
Ireland were neat in possession without being clinical in the final third. Séamus Coleman bravely sticking his head into the boot of Zhirayr Shaghoyan on two minutes created a free that was cleared for a corner.
From the corner, Jake O’Brien was first up but angled his header wide of the near post.
Although O’Brien relinquished long throw-in duties to Ebosele, there was scant effectiveness to them. Coleman’s attempt at an overhead kick from a cross by his opposite wing-back Manning provided a morsel of excitement for the crowd of 42,292 but it was the Armenians who went close.
Eduard Spertsyan had scored in his three previous meetings with Ireland and on 17 minutes illustrated his first dash of class by exchanging passes with Grant-Leon Ranos and firing straight at Caoimhín Kelleher. It would constitute the sole effort on target by both teams during a dull opening half.
Seven minutes before the break, Spertsyan ought to have tested Kelleher when left alone at the back post off a counterattack. The Russian-born playmaker uncharacteristically shinned his volley wide.
A ripple of boos were audible at half-time but the Icelander remained ice-cool in the moment.
The fact Troy Parrott and Adam Idah both still had their coats on during the interval kickabout by substitutes confirmed he wasn’t replicating his plot of the previous meeting by engineering an interval substitute.
If Hallgrimsson had a timescale in his mind for an injection, it was altered by the visitors incurring a red card seven minutes after the restart.
Barseghyan was already wound up by the crowd jeering the need for his head to be bandaged in the first half. Needlessly, he reacted to an innocuous challenge by thrusting his forehead into Azaz. Intent, rather than force, was adjudged to warrant the red card.
Hallgrimsson immediately threw on his first pair of substitutes, Parrott and Ogbene, much to the joy of the expectant crowd.
This was Ireland’s game to win and now they had the numerical advantage to enforce it, coupled with an ambitious alteration of formation.
Goalkeeper Henri Avagyan had been a bystander while Ireland floundered in the first half. They couldn’t even avail of him delegating kickouts to Styopa Mkrtchyan by breaking the press.
It was a different story for the Armenian stopper following the sending-off, with a barrage of Ireland chances flowing.
All they’d mustered up that game-changer was a tame Azaz header but the Pyunik custodian reacted brilliantly to parry a 53rd-minute header by Collins onto the post. Dara O’Shea was unable to steer home the rebound.
It was the reverse situation two minutes later. O’Shea’s header from Manning’s corner forced Avagyan to stoop low and shovel away on the line. Quicker feet by Collins would have found the breakthrough.
Signs of Armenian concern were provided by the ‘keeper laying on the turf awaiting treatment. The sideline pep-talk failed to lift the siege as the waves of attack intensified.
A pirouette by Azaz freed Ferguson for a chance he couldn’t beat the stopper with but soon the opening would arrive.
Armenia dozed off from a corner, allowing Azaz to tee up Will Smallbone to cross. The first inviting cross of the evening was gleefully gobbled by Ferguson, rising unattended to nod home from close range.
By the end, that margin should have swelled. Adam Idah was introduced into the attack as Ireland sensed blood and he too was denied by the 29-year-old goalkeeper, who dived at his feet to thwart him from Manning’s left-wing centre.
Idah had the ball in the net with a minute left but what seemed Ireland’s second was scratched for offside. VAR verified the marginal call.
That's what Ireland are dependent on as the days turn darker. Hungary's late equaliser in Portugal stiffened their task.
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