Gulps, gasps and relief as Ireland edge into play-offs

THESE NERVE-JANGLING nights in Lansdowne do not get any easier. The Republic of Ireland’s road to Euro 2012 now enters the tricky diversion of a play-off after they closed their Group B campaign with a 2-1 win over Armenia last night.

As ever, it was nail-biting until the last, with Shay Given sweeping the ball from his goal line even as Simon Cox was announced man of the match and four minutes of injury time was signalled. Gulps and gasps and relief.

With this Irish team, life is never boring. Armenia came to town last night as the only sure stock in Europe, shooting up through the rankings after a series of slick performances that made it appear as if they had been hot-housing a team of Gevorg Bests. Nothing dissuaded them from their belief in attacking football, not even when their goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky was sent off in the first half for illegally handling the ball outside his box.

Their bad luck was compounded when Valeri Aleksanyan turned Damien Duff’s cross into his own net.

Down to 10 men, the visitors suddenly began to look more like a team who belonged among the more obscure nations of world football when Richard Dunne crashed home Ireland’s second goal.

But there was to be no easy conclusion.

Just like that, Armenia embroidered three perfect passes and Henrikh Mkhitaryan flashed home a goal. Worse was to come. Kevin Doyle was sent off with a second yellow, leaving Ireland to survive the last 10 minutes with just 10 men. They did enough.

“Please come back and hopefully we will get across the line,” Shay Given told the delighted home crowd before the team disappeared to see who they will meet in the play-offs.

So the theory that Giovanni Trapattoni, as well as being one of the great survivors of European football, is also a lucky manager, lives on. The play-offs – and the controversial handball here – will undoubtedly revive the ghost of Thierry Henry’s foul play in Paris two years ago. The possible opponents are Turkey, Estonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.

What happens next will be decided in Krakow tomorrow. It is all to play for.