SoccerMatch report

Ireland draw out Belgium but fail to find killer touch in entertaining encounter

Caoimhín Kelleher puts in strong showing as Evan Ferguson’s goal drought continues with missed penalty

Belgium’s Johan Bakayoko is challenged by Sammie Szmodics of Ireland during the friendly international at the Aviva Stadium. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Gavin Cummiskey at the Aviva Stadium
Sun Mar 24 2024 - 15:10
International friendly: Ireland 0 Belgium 0

A goalkeepers game. Caoimhín Kelleher and Matz Sels enhanced already solid reputations with the Premier League shot-stoppers keeping this international friendly scoreless.

Kelleher, in particular, brought his Liverpool form to Dublin with an excellent parry to deny Thomas Meunier in the second half after Dodi Lukébakio skinned Dara O’Shea down the right wing.

“Split-second stuff,” said Kelleher. “It was a good save, happy to help the team but I wasn’t overly busy, we defended really well.”

Gavin Bazunu is expected to get a chance to unseat Kelleher come Tuesday’s visit of Switzerland to the Aviva Stadium as Ireland’s caretaker manager John O’Shea is expected to spread the caps around the squad.

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“Ask me after Switzerland,” smiled O’Shea when quizzed about turning the interim position into a four-year contract.

Nobody underperformed on this cold March evening but Evan Ferguson missed a first-half penalty to continue his four-month goal drought.

Chiedozie Ogbene also spurned a glorious chance in the third minute. The build-up had everything as Ferguson outmuscled Leicester’s Wout Faes and fed Josh Cullen whose first touch prompted Sammie Szmodics to send Ogbene bearing down on Sels’s goal from the left.

Ogbene looked up to see Séamus Coleman’s cleverly timed run to the back post before opting to shoot with his weaker left foot into the side netting. The skipper was livid but besides the poor finish, Ireland were as technically proficient as Belgium in the opening exchanges.

Even Kelleher showed a nimbleness in possession, evading Loïs Openda before calmly picking a pass to Nathan Collins.

Talk of Collins becoming a Paul McGrath-style holding midfielder proved just that. The Uefa website did cause a stir pre-match by naming the Brentford centre back in the middle but O’Shea went with a 5-4-1 formation as Szmodics and Ogbene worked off Ferguson.

Initially, there was a bite to proceedings as Cullen caught Openda from behind and a few more tackles forced Norwegian referee Rohit Saggi to intervene.

But the biggest cheer of the opening 25 minutes came when Brian Kerr appeared on the big screen.

That was about to change. Robbie Brady was recalled to curve free-kicks into the danger zone and his first effort found Collins, whose header was met by O’Shea before Arthur Vermeeren’s arm blocked the ball. Saggi instantly pointed to the penalty spot.

Ferguson stepped up to end a barren spell dating back to November 25th, when he last scored for Brighton against Nottingham Forest. Sels only arrived at the City Ground in February but the Forest goalkeeper had the Irish teenager’s number. The turf gave way under Ferguson’s left foot as he hit his penalty down the middle for the big goalie to save, mid-dive to his right.

Belgium goalkeeper Matz Sels saves a penalty by Evan Ferguson. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Ogbene earned another look moments later but this time he drew the effort across Sels’s area.

The 38,128 crowd needed a goal as much as Ferguson and Ogbene did. Thereafter, Lansdowne Road became a fast-food restaurant as people shuffled in and out for beverages and hot dogs until Szmodics attempted the spectacular from a neat Ferguson flick on. After shrugging off Aster Vranckx, the Blackburn Rovers man blazed over.

“Evan is a big lad, a young, confident boy,” said Szmodics. “I know he likes to hold the ball up, I can work off him and my chance first half came from running in behind him. So, I have a good understanding with him.”

It felt uncomfortably familiar to the last days of Stephen Kenny; Ireland starting like a train only to run out of fizz.

Or not. Belgian coach Domenico Tedesco reminded everyone that this was a friendly international by replacing Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans at half-time, although the arrival of Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku forced Coleman into a defensive posture.

Ireland under O’Shea love a snappy attack from the kick-off and 11 seconds into the second half Brady curled a cross from wide left on to the lunging head of Ferguson. Almost perfect, the 19-year-old’s connection cleared the crossbar.

Openda did find the target with a clean strike but Kelleher, oozing confidence, saved well.

The next sight of goal came after 66 minutes but, again, Ireland fluffed their lines. Ogbene and Will Smallbone combined before Szmodics shot into a thicket of red shirts.

“The best way to shut people up is to show what you can do, and I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Szmodics, who spurned overtures from Hungary. “I love playing for Ireland and I’m excited now for the future so hopefully I’ll get many more caps.”

Time for an injection of energy from Dr O’Shea. It was a fairly big swing as Ogbene, Szmodics and Ferguson made way for Adam Idah, Jason Knight and Mikey Johnston.

The three original attackers showed well but ultimately they departed with glum faces.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Kelleher (Liverpool); Coleman (Everton), Omobamidele (Nottingham Forest), Collins (Brentford), O’Shea (Burnley), Brady (Preston North End); Cullen (Burnley), Smallbone (Southampton); Ogbene (Luton Town), Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers); Ferguson (Brighton).

Subs: Knight (Bristol City) for Szmodics, Johnston (West Bromwich Albion) for Ogbene, Idah (Norwich City) for Ferguson (all 71 mins); Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers) for Brady (81), Ebosele (Udinese) for Smallbone (86).

BELGIUM: Sels (Nottingham Forest); Castagne (Fulham), Faes (Leicester City), De Winter (Genoa), Deman (Werder Bremen); Tielemans (Aston Villa), Vermeeren (Atlético Madrid), Vranckx (VFL Wolfsburg); Bakayoko (PSV Eindhoven), Openda (RB Leipzig), Trossard (Arsenal).

Subs: Doku (Manchester City) for Trossard, Meunier (Trabzonspor) for Tielemans, Batshuayi (Fenerbahçe) for Castagne (all 46), Onana (Everton) for De Winter, Lukébakio for Bakayoko (both 64), Kaminski (Luton Town) for Sels (83).

Referee: Rohit Saggi (Norway).

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey is The Irish Times' Soccer Correspondent

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