Ireland’s Nations League misery continues as Armenia edge to victory

Armenia 1 Republic of Ireland 0

Utter disaster in Yerevan. Eduard Spertsyan’s cleanly-struck winner on 74 minutes went off the post and past Caoimhín Kelleher to avenge Armenia’s controversial Dublin defeat way back in 2010 and rubbish the claim by Ireland manager Stephen Kenny that the Nations League B title could be captured.

The result tallies a terrible run of 11 winless outings in this competition, a statistic that Kenny attempted pre-match to blame on strict adherence to Covid protocols. Excuses were offered but in reality there’s no plausible reason for Ireland being beaten by the nation ranked 92nd in the world. Not the pandemic, not the heat, nothing.

To put in context just how damaging this defeat is for Kenny’s attempt to revive Irish football, Norway put nine past Joaquín Caparros’ team last March. North Macedonia beat them 5-0 at Republican Stadium in November.

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Maybe Ireland encountered a wounded animal in stifling conditions, yet the final score tells no lies. Disjointed and jaded, particularly skipper Séamus Coleman, following an arduous club season with Everton, this silences Kenny’s constant claim of a squad on the rise.

Supping water and towelling off at the first water break after 23 minutes, the Irish players presumably wondered how they had failed to score. Callum Robinson was incensed by the lack of protection from Romanian referee Radu Petrescu as his attacking partnership with Chiedozie Ogbene looked as dangerous as ever.

However, come the “third quarter” pause, a draw seemed like a fair result.

[ Stephen Kenny stresses need for ‘important performances’ as Ireland bid to bounce back against Ukraine ]

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Initially unable to contain Ireland’s roaming strikers, Arman Hovhannisyan and outstanding captain Varazdat Haroyan took to kicking lumps out of them in a back-handed compliment after Ogbene gave Robinson two clear sights of goal. The first chance found David Yurchenko’s side-netting before a soft, downward effort by Robinson was scooped off the goal line by Hovhannes Hambartsumyan.

A stream of corners from Josh Cullen lacked the velocity or accuracy that Shane Duffy and John Egan required to find the target. There would be no Duffy heroics in the final seconds. Nor would the anonymous Troy Parrott save Ireland with another wonder strike. The 20-year-old struggled, while in stark contrast Vahan Bichakhchyan’s pace exposed Egan on the counterattack, and Parrott was eventually replaced by Michael Obafemi on 65 minutes. Not much changed.

Despite Kenny’s odd post-match assertion that Armenia created no real chances, Kelleher, starting due to the back-strained Gavin Bazunu, needed to push Tigran Barseghyan’s shot for a corner after four minutes when Nathan Collins was caught in possession by Bichakhchyan.

In the ensuing pinball, an alert Duffy blocked Spertsyan’s goal bound effort before receiving a deserved yellow card for a studs-up tackle on Barseghyan.

Despite the shaky opening, Ogbene was off target with a free header before half-time as Ireland began to control the game’s flow.

The relatively smooth arrival of Collins on to the international scene has at least strengthened defensive options. But there are no positives here. Wing backs Coleman and Enda Stevens were denied room to manoeuvre and coupled with poor set-piece delivery by Cullen, the likeliest route to victory was a patiently constructed goal through the guts of Armenian traffic. But Jeff Hendrick never delivered the killer assist.

Such rules of engagement could hardly have surprised the Ireland management but the contest was screaming out for an energetic cameo from Jason Knight, James McClean or even Obafemi. All three were warmed and ready to enter the fray from half-time but it took well over an hour for Kenny to ring the changes.

Coleman did storm forward early in the second but the skipper’s inability to get on to Hendrick’s return pass left Collins and Duffy under severe pressure down the other end.

Again, contrary to Kenny’s stance, this was no fluke. The Republican Stadium erupted in the 50th minute when Barseghyan finished to the top corner but VAR cancelled the goal as Hambartsumyan was offside. This time it was Stevens who coughed up possession near halfway.

The momentum completely shifted as Yerevan became cloaked in a humid mist. Khoren Bayramyan received enough ball to create three goals but the local playmaker’s wayward distribution appeared to save Ireland from a humiliating defeat.

Not so. A classy turn by Spertsyan left Obafemi for dead as the Russian-born midfielder wandered closer and closer to the Irish box before carving his name into the 87-year history of this ground.

Both this week’s opponents, Ukraine then Scotland at the Aviva Stadium, would have been out the gate long before Kenny turned to an ineffective cavalry. A grim evening in the Caucasus.

Armenia: Yurchenko (Pyunik Yerevan); Hambartsumyan (Anorthosis), Haroyan (Cádiz, capt), Mkoya (Ararat Yerevan), A Hovhannisyan (Pyunik Yerevan); K Hovhannisyan (Astana), Grigoryan (Alashkert FC), Spertsyan (Krasnodar), Barseghyan (Slovan Bratislava); Bayramyan (Rostov); Bichakhchyan (Pogon). Subs: Adamyan (Club Brugge) for Bichakhchyan (56 mins), Mkrtchyan (BKMA Yerevan) for A Hovhannisyan (60), Dashyan (Pyunik Yerevan) for Barseghyan (89),

Republic of Ireland: Kelleher (Liverpool); Collins (Burnley), Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion), Egan (Sheffield United); Coleman (Everton, capt), Hendrick (Newcastle United), Cullen (Anderlecht), Stevens (Sheffield United); Ogbene (Rotherham United), Robinson (West Bromwich Albion), Parrott (Tottenham Hotspur). Subs: Obafemi (Swansea City) for Parrott (65 mins), McClean (Wigan Athletic) for Stevens, Knight (Derby County) for Robinson (Both 73), Keane for Coleman, Browne for Cullen (81).

Referee: Radu Petrescu (Romania).