A different ball game as Ireland win controversial Israel clash
Ireland's Troy Parrott celebrates after scoring his side's first goal of the match. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
For such an empty venue, this occasion carried all the hallmarks of a highly charged event.
Only 200 fans were inside the Nagyerdei Stadion, the majority huddled into a knot in one of the seven sections within one stand.
A dozen or so Irish fans managed to gain access despite some having their tickets cancelled on them earlier in the day.
They always find a way and a young fan was delighted to be handed Jake O’Brien’s shirt at full-time.
We wondered on Saturday afternoon whether there would be a match at all to play.
Once agreement was reached among the players, eyes would turn to what measures they’d take to demonstrate their discomfort at fulfilling the fixture.
If they weren’t going to boycott a game against a country found to have committed genocide in Gaza, then the power of symbolism would have to do.
Players donned black armbands , refused to engage in the usual pre-match handshakes and bowed their heads while the Israeli national anthem blared into the night.
Despite Israel captain Manor Solomon carrying onto the pitch with him the traditional pennant for the exchange during the coin toss, the Irish side didn’t accept or offer one of their own.
Captain Dara O’Shea kept his hands behind his back throughout the brief convergence in the centre-circle, avoiding eye contact with his fellow skipper, and only shaking hands with the set of German officials.
As it transpired, Israel's players didn’t go out of their way to extend their hands, as vice-captain Dor Peretz has promised to.
All of the non-conformity conditions were laid out to the FAI following a meeting of players on Friday night, vital to let the world know this wasn’t a normal international fixture.
That much was clear from the drama on the eve of the first of two scheduled matches between the teams over a week.
Aside from the lengthy postponement by the FAI of their press conference, the sound of Heimir Hallgrímsson being asked by the Israeli press about the hypocrisy of Ireland facing ‘Nazi’ Germany in the 1930s indicated the surreal nature.
Former Minister Alan Shatter turning up on the press list for the Jerusalem Post was another clue about the unconventional environment.
Israel simply cannot understand how Ireland has developed into an outlier of sport, even considering the ultimate ploy of refusing to face them.
They haven’t forgotten that it was the Irish football fraternity that sought from Uefa the suspension of Israel club and national teams arising from establishing teams in the occupied territory of Palestine.
Their coterie of ex-pats and few who journeyed from the Holy Land to attend the match soon made the Irish players aware of their contempt by booing and whistling their arrival onto the pitch for their warm-up.
More sinister were the racial chants that could be heard when either Adam Idah or James Abankwah gained possession. Idah could be seen gesturing to the assistant after one such unsavoury incident.
Irish players soon did their best to quell the hostility by scoring three goals in a 12-minute first-half surge.
Troy Parrott rediscovered his scoring gold-dust of earlier in the year to stroke the ball home after 12 minutes.
James Abakwah provided the assist, mopping up a botched clearance to square for the Real Betis striker to stroke the ball under Daniel Peretz. His choice of goal celebration was cupping his hands into a heart gesture.
Two minutes later, Moylan and Idah – two of the five changes from Thursday – combined for the second. A sublimely timed through ball from Moylan dissected the Israeli defence, allowing Idah to scamper clear and curl his shot past the Southampton goalkeeper.
Moylan, in flying form since joining Brian Barry-Murphy’s Cardiff City in the summer, then produced a brilliant individual third goal on 25. Taking possession midway inside the opposition half, he dropped his shoulder and dribbled past two defenders before expertly cutting the ball across Peretz into the left corner.
Unlike Parrott, he ran towards the Israeli fans in celebration, removing and kissing the black armband. As he got closer to the sideline, it was the badge on his jersey being kissed.
Three goals up and coasting, Ireland easily saw out their first win of this Nations League campaign.
A couple of Caoimhín Kelleher saves in the second half maintained the clean sheet yet there’s been nothing clean about the circumstances of this unique occasion.
A hollow victory in the eyes of many.
: (3-4-2-1): C Kelleher; D O’Shea, J O’Brien, L Kitching; J Abankwah (J Knight 67), J Molumby (J Bagan 88), C Coventry, R Manning; J Moylan (T Cannon 67), A Idah (K Phillips 67); T Parrott (R Vata 76).
(3-5-2): Daniel Peretz; A Khalalili, G Mizrahi (Dor Peretz 46), R Shlomo, N Stoinov, R Revivo; G Kanichowsky (E Azoulay 67), E Peretz, M Solomon; D Turgeman (I Toclomiti 46), O Gloukh.
: Harm Osmers (GER) ends
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