Ireland 1–0 Lithuania — Food for thought as fringe players fail to grasp brass ring
Despite having the ball in the Lithuanian net FIVE times, Stephen Kenny will be far from happy. This was an opportunity for several players to remind the manager of what he’s missing. To grab that brass ring. To offer themselves as REAL competition within the squad.
Unfortunately, a number will have left the manager wanting and with the Nations League approaching in June, this may have been their last chance.
Stephen Kenny made SIX changes to the side that drew with the World Number One team on Saturday, and didn’t it show? This was far from a sparkling performance. It was disjointed and lethargic. The lack of atmosphere didn’t help either.
Numbers were down on the weekend’s attendance. Lithuania ranked 137th in the World were hardly going to attract record crowds. Even my own battle with Covid precluded myself from the festivities, having tested positive the night before. Thus, forcing myself to watch on from my London home on SKY SPORTS.
Speaking of which…
Normally I’d roll my eyes at Sky’s saturated coverage, two hours of solid analysis would stretch the enthusiasm of even the most delusional football fan. However, you’d think that SKY, the sole rights holders of Ireland’s friendly matches in the UK and Ireland, would afford the Boys in Green a little more than five minutes of coverage… They didn’t even bother renting a studio.
I thought I had warped back to 1995 and switched on Eurosport.
Back to the match…
Stephen Kenny’s side, as expected, dominated possession from the off but with very little to show for it. A Ryan Manning shot across the bow on the sixth minute, had done little to concern Lithuania’s Džiugas Bartkus. Although, it was a promising start.
Just two minutes later, Chiedozie Ogbene looked like he had given the home side an early lead. Unfortunately, the Rotherham man was just a fraction offside latching onto a superb low cross from Manning, who was proving to be a real thorn in the Lithuanian’s side. Things were looking good.
Then, well, that was it.
Ireland failed to display any guile or craft for the rest of the first half. Lithuania’s reluctance to come out and play had reduced the home side to pot shots from 20 yards out. It was worrying. Then their goalkeeper started the customary time wasting on the 16th minute, much to the ire of Stephen Kenny. I started to have a bad feeling about all of this…
Over the weekend, Ireland had been slow to start against the Belgians with the crowd having very little to cheer for, tonight was no different. Unfortunately, we had no Thierry Henry to plaster all over the big screens this time round. Maybe going forward we should just put him up there regardless?
Half time came and it was a blessed release.
The manager had decided against the utilization of any of his six substitutes, despite Ireland having only registered a single shot on goal. To be fair, Stephen Kenny’s team looked sharper in the second half, although not sharp enough as the home side proved wasteful and sloppy in possession.
The stationary Conor Hourihane believed he had broken the deadlock on the 55th minute, only for Callum Robinson and Will Keane to be adjudged off-side — fair enough.
Just two minutes later, Matt Doherty, one of Ireland’s more in form players at club level, looked like he was mad as hell and wasn’t going to take it anymore. The Tottenham wing-back had driven into the box, albeit awkwardly, and looked dead set to score. Only for his effort to ricochet off the keeper at close range.
Without wishing to sound mean, but it looked harder to miss…
The crowd finally came to life on the 68th minute when an idiot wearing a rugby jersey decided to run onto the pitch for a selfie with Caoimhím Kelleher. Frustratingly, Ireland were in an excellent position at the time. Matt Doherty, who seems to have issues with his shooting boots in a green shirt, continued the push when play resumed. Only to blast over the bar from decent range inside the box.
Five minutes later, Chiedozie Ogbene had looked to have finally broken the Lithuanian resolve by slotting home from a well worked move involving two of Kenny’s substitutes, Parrott and McClean. Only for the latter to find himself off-side. Then there was off-side number FOUR with Scott Hogan miss-timing is run before a smart chip.
A record, surely?
Buoyed by the FIVE minutes of added time held aloft by the fourth official, Ireland huffed and puffed, with John Egan matching an excellent cross from another substitute Jason Knight, only for the keeper to provide a fine save.
Troy Parrot, who looked lively since replacing the cumbersome Will Keane thought he had snatched a winner, but instead forced another save from Barktus, who was having a fine game.
Then FINALLY, in the 96th minute of stoppage time, Troy Parrott’s time indeed had arrived, and it was worth the wait. The 20-year-old Tottenham striker latched onto a headed clearance from the visiting defence, moving smartly towards the 18-yard box, creating space and smashing home. Barktus, finally defeated.
It was a wonderful moment missed by about half of the 30,808 in attendance who had opted for the early exit. But that wont matter to the young Dubliner, who took great delight in scoring in front of his home crowd.
Final whistle, game over, Ireland get out of jail.
Not the best of nights, however, it is now EIGHT games unbeaten for Stephen Kenny and this was a team with SIX changes to his strongest XI, so it’s also far from the worst.
David, The Green Machíne Podcast
