Here is Gavin Cummiskey’s match report:
[ Ireland strike the right note as Ferguson and Idah see off BulgariaOpens in new window ]
“The Republic of Ireland strikers are all right.
“Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men will compete in the Nations League B at least until 2028. That’s the reward for beating Bulgaria 4-2 on aggregate as goals from Evan Ferguson and Adam Idah settled this relegation playoff after Valentin Antov initially levelled the contest.
“For good measure, Troy Parrott was named man of the match for a selfless, non-stop 66-minute shift.
“Parrott could have scored a hat-trick but it was Ferguson who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck with a show of star power that bodes well for the rest of his season on loan to West Ham.”
Meanwhile there has been a fifth goal for Portugal, they will be in the group with Ireland then for World Cup qualifying.
That’s all from me for tonight, good night!
Hallgrímsson on RTÉ: “It seems to be a trend to concede the first goal. From the moment we conceded, we were in good control, credit to the guys they came back. Played a little more simple in the second half. That was the key. We were playing too complicated, too many touches.
“Finn is so clever, so creative, he can play as any position. Two strikers scored, credit to them, they let their feet do the talking. There has been a lot of good energy in the squad.”
Troy Parrott on RTÉ: “The goal [we conceded] was a bit on us. We turned it around, to come back was a nice feeling.
“I would have liked to have scored a goal myself, the most important thing was we won the game. It’s all about contributing to the game, it’s more important for me to play like this. The chances will keep coming and the goals will come.”
In a game that will affect Ireland’s World Cup qualifying group, perhaps unfortunately Portugal are now 4-2 ahead of Denmark, 4-3 on aggregate and would be in Ireland’s group as it stands. That’s in extra time.
Full-time: Ireland 2 Bulgaria 1 (4-2 to Ireland on aggregate)
Ireland stay in League B! They avoid relegation, good second half performance brings them through. Idah and Ferguson on target.
90+4 mins: Bulgaria try to counter but Taylor gets back well. From the set piece, it falls to Kirilov but he swipes it well over.
Ireland 2 Bulgaria 1 (4-2 to Ireland on aggregate)
88 mins: Troy Parrott wins man of the match, according to RTÉ. Well deserved, but Azaz could have won it again there. Brady was good too.
Ireland 2 Bulgaria 1
84 mins: Yellow card for Cullen for a foul. From it Ireland counter with a quick pass from Azaz in behind to Sykes. He doesn’t have the pace to go all the way, but keeps the ball and...
Goal for Ireland! Superb cross by Sykes and Idah volleys home at the back post from six yards. Nice one! That should be that.
Ireland 2 Bulgaria 1 (4-2 to Ireland on aggregate)
81 mins: Very dangerous delivery into the box by Bulgaria that could have gone anywhere, Nuernberger just couldn’t get it under control. Slight let-off. One more sub for Ireland, Knight off for Taylor.
Ireland 1 Bulgaria 1 (3-2 to Ireland on aggregate)
78 mins: Nice pass in behind to Idah who snaps at the shot wide but it’s ruled offside anyway.
Ireland 1 Bulgaria 1
75 mins: On comes Jimmy Dunne for his international debut for Evan Ferguson then. Adam Idah up front. Defender for an attacker, shut up shop it seems.
Ireland 1 Bulgaria 1
72 mins: Decent bit of possession for Bulgaria as Ireland get in shape. Ferguson’s goal has changed the complexion of the game. Azaz with a few nice touch and takes a shot outside the box but it’s blocked.
Ireland 1 Bulgaria 1
66 mins: So the subs come on and it looks like Ferguson avoids the hook thanks to that goal, just right I suppose! Although Parrott comes off and he had been playing well. Brady and Johnston also off.
Bulgaria have a shot that goes wide of the post after a corner.
Ireland 1 Bulgaria 1
63 mins: Three subs being prepared for Ireland - Ryan Manning, Adam Idah and Mark Sykes.
Might change their mind now...
Goal for Ireland! Evan Ferguson shows his class! He picks the ball up from deep, drives at the defence, one two with Azaz, who played a lovely pass back to him and then smashes into the roof of the net. What a goal!
Ireland 1 Bulgaria 1 (3-2 to Ireland on aggregate)
60 mins: Knight gives away the ball cheaply in midfield and Ireland get away with it, but the midfield has not been great again. Nikolov is on for Kraev up front for Bulgaria.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 1
58 mins: Big chance for Ferguson! Bulgaria defender Petrov was messing around with it, Parrott nicked it off him and Ferguson is through on goal but takes an early shot that is decently struck but somewhat comfortably saved by the keeper. Never looked confident on it, and a sign of where his game is at, at the minute.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 1 (2-2 on aggregate)
54 mins: Bulgaria scramble it out of the box after it fell to Ferguson and he tried to find an incoming Irish player but couldn’t get a shot away. Free-kick in the middle of the pitch, Brady with a decent ball, O’Brien heads back to Azaz who volleys it wide off his left.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 1
51 mins: Chance for Ireland, Parrot with a nice touch one-two then to Johnston on the edge of the box but he blazes it well wide. After a good start he’s been disappointing since. Ferguson has looked off the pace tonight.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 1
Second half is finally under way.
48 mins: Cullen loses the ball early on and gives Bulgaria possession in an advanced area although they end up passing it back to the keeper. They work it back into the box and O’Brien deals with it but immediately gives away the ball again. Sloppy start to the half.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 1
The fourth official has to replace the referee due to injury, according to RTÉ, so that is delaying the half-time break.
Half-time: Ireland 0 Bulgaria 1 (2-2 on aggregate)
Not in the plan this. Ireland played reasonably well and created chances but slow to react from a corner and it’s all to play for second half now, extra time and penalties a possibility...
45 mins: Knight loses the ball and then fouls to pick up a yellow card, sloppy piece of play. You can hear Hallgrímsson roaring at the players which is a sign of his unhappiness with Ireland at the moment, and of how quiet the Aviva is.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 1
42 mins: Yellow card for Mikey Johnston, pulls at the shirt after missing a tackle on the wing. Ireland win a corner, and a great chance! Again O’Brien from a Brady corner, he guides it towards goal but it’s cleared off the line.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 1
38 mins: An unusual moment as the referee Umut Meler talks to the physio about an injury. He is carrying on but looks not to be moving the best.
It’s not the first time he’s got injured as a referee.
35 mins: Ireland are shellshocked from that goal as Bulgaria grow in confidence but they need to get a grip on the game again.
Another tasty ball in by Brady, whipped cross, Parrott makes good movement to get ahead of the defender but just over the bar.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 1
29 mins: Goal for Bulgaria! Against the run of play, their first chance of the game. Corner to the edge of the box, volley from it rebounds to Antov in the box who slots it into the corner. Nightmare.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 1
26 mins: Off the post! Given offside but it looked onside on the replay, but anyway Brady puts in a brilliant low cross to Parrott whose first time low shot hits the post.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 0
23 mins: Mikey Johnston has been the best player for Ireland so far and causing Bulgaria plenty of problems. He runs at the Bulgarian defence once more but messes up the pass to Ferguson, although the better pass would have been to Azaz running into the box. Poor that time.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 0
20 mins: Bit of possession for Bulgaria although not really making much hay on the Ireland defence.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 0
14 mins: 70 per cent possession for Ireland in the opening stages. Parrott with a nice flick around the defender wins another attacking free-kick. Doesn’t amount to anything though.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 0
11 mins: Another effort, great whip on it by Brady, trademark at this stage, falls from Johnston who wouldn’t be the one you’d want aerially and he mistimes the header well wide.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 0
8 mins: Bright start from Ireland, putting Bulgaria under pressure. More play like that and they should break down the Bulgarian defence.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 0
5 mins: Then big chance! Good corner by Brady, O’Brien towers in the box using his height and into the corner, good save by the keeper. Then Ferguson almost gets in but collides with the keeper who had got there first.
Ireland 0 Bulgaria 0
3 mins: Almost an underhit pass to the keeper by Doherty under a high press by Bulgaria, then Ireland attack, Brady’s cross wasn’t the best though.
Sharp start by Johnston, dribbles at the defence, Parrott dummies and Johnston nearly gets the return pass but out for a corner.
The teams again:
Ireland: Kelleher; Doherty, O’Brien, Collins (capt), Brady; Cullen, Knight, Azaz; Johnston, Ferguson, Parrott.
Bulgaria: Iliev; Minkov, Petrov, Nedyalkov, Nuernberger; Antov, Gruev, Milanov; Despodov, Petkov, Kraev
Here’s what Kevin Kilbane has to say about the state of Irish football at the moment and the last match against Bulgaria:
“For all the positives around turning 0-1 into 2-1 by half time, Ireland were lucky to escape with the win. They invited Bulgaria to come at them throughout the second half.
“We’ve seen this too many times. Passive resistance is Ireland’s default settling whenever they take a lead. It cannot go on like this. Not if the World Cup is a realistic aim for Hallgrímsson.
“Luckily Bulgaria were poor. It sounds like football over there is in a similar state to Ireland when Stephen Kenny took over in 2020. Their FA is in disarray at board level and the infighting is rife.
“We should never turn our noses up at wins in Finland and Bulgaria.
The same applies tonight.
The starting line-up is out:
Ireland: Kelleher; Doherty, O’Brien, Collins (capt), Brady; Cullen, Knight, Azaz; Johnston, Ferguson, Parrott.
Interesting team selection there! O’Brien and Ferguson come into the team, two strikers starting but maybe Parrott off the wing.
Bulgaria: Iliev; Minkov, Petrov, Nedyalkov, Nuernberger; Antov, Gruev, Milanov; Despodov, Petkov, Kraev
Here’s Gavin Cummiskey’s match preview, where Gavin is complimentary of the new manager.
“Heimir Hallgrímsson is living up to his reputation as a specialist international manager who previously guided Iceland and Jamaica to major tournaments.
“On his watch, the Republic of Ireland have won three Nations League matches against lower-ranked countries and lost four times to superior opponents.
“No draws. Just a clear plan to select players on form rather than reputation.
“From Troy Parrott starting Thursday’s 2-1 victory in Bulgaria ahead of Evan Ferguson to Ryan Manning on the left of midfield and Matt Doherty’s return at right back, every decision made by Hallgrímsson paid off.”
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Ireland’s Nations League promotion/relegation playoff second leg at the Aviva Stadium. Kick-off is at 7.45pm. In the first leg, Ireland won 2-1 away in Plovdiv thanks to goals from Finn Azaz and Matt Doherty. It means they will stay in League B for the next Nations League season should they avoid defeat in Dublin. It would be a good early achievement for manager Heimir Hallgrímsson given how many defeats the national team has suffered in the past few years. Let’s see if they can pull it off. The teams will follow when they are made available.
Republic of Ireland Squad
Goalkeepers: Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (Middlesbrough, on loan from AFC Bournemouth), Gavin Bazunu (Standard Liége, on loan from Southampton).
Defenders: Jake O’Brien (Everton), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Dara O’Shea (Ipswich Town), Jimmy Dunne (Queens Park Rangers), James Abankwah (Watford, on loan from Udinese), Robbie Brady (Preston North End), Ryan Manning (Southampton).
Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Jack Taylor (Ipswich Town), Mark Sykes (Bristol City), Finn Azaz (Middlesbrough), Andrew Moran (Stoke City, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion).
Attackers: Evan Ferguson (West Ham United, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Celtic), Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar), Sinclair Armstrong (Bristol City), Mikey Johnston (West Bromwich Albion), Rocco Vata (Watford).
