Still no goals to show for improved Ireland in Wales draw

Republic of Ireland 0 Wales 0

A little context might be required in order to view Ireland’s fourth match under the team’s new manager in a completely positive light but as Stephen Kenny can readily attest, there is no shortage of that right now.

Wales, we already knew, had completely outplayed Ireland in a couple of the recent encounters between the two sides and Ireland came into this one missing half a squad. Between one player’s positive test and those then deemed to be “close contacts”, five of the players had only been lost late on Saturday night and so the manager had to gather his coaching staff together before breakfast in order to pick a new team.

So in that sense, being that little bit better than Ryan Giggs’ side by most measures should be regarded as something of a success although the general concern over the surviving Irish players’ ability to put their chances away was only deepened by a display in which they created quite a few but couldn’t so much as force Wayne Hennessey into a half decent save.

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“It’s not something I am concerned about,” insisted the manager afterwards. “The fact that we had to make an incredible amount of changes at short notice today and still put in a performance like that. It isn’t a concern really.

“I do feel that we’re achieving a lot, particularly in the game against Slovakia, and with other players to come in as well, I believe that we’re going to get better. I definitely feel that. We’ve a good understanding of what we’re working on.”

That last bit, at least, was in evidence here. In what was another evenly matched contest, competed well on what might be regarded as Kenny’s terms and Giggs’ contention that a decline in the quality of it all late on, favoured the hosts seemed a little unfair.

Wales had come closest to nicking the win only in the closing stages but their hosts were down to 10 men by then after James McClean had been shown a second yellow for a late lunge on Ethan Ampadu and the only real injustice they could point to was the Greek referee’s failure to give them a penalty when Darren Randolph had fouled the same defender while frantically trying to recover control of a corner he had dropped.

Aaron Ramsey’s assessment afterwards that: “Ireland have changed their game a little bit, they like to press a bit more now and they like to play with the ball. We had to try and adapt to that, and at times we found it difficult. We stuck at it though and we’ve come away with a point in the end,” seemed a more balanced assessment of what was certainly a satisfactory outcome for the visitors.

The prospects of Ireland threatening the prospects of winning group from five points behind at the midway point can, in any case, be best described as remote, not least because of how depleted Kenny’s options will be again in Helsinki on Wednesday.

Beyond that he will hope that things have calmed down in time for next month’s two games and that his confidence in the team’s ability to address their issues up front is vindicated.

There is clearly encouragement to be taken from the number of chances created here even without the side’s first choice strikers but that is not to excuse some of the finishing.

Though he had a generally good game, Robbie Brady will surely look back on the shot he had late on in the first half and reflect that putting Shane Long in on goal would have been the better option. But the Southampton striker should then have scored anyway in the second half when he headed over from close range and Daryl Horgan lacked the composure to put a very good chance away minutes after that.

A late effort from Jeff Hendrick was, in fact, the only Irish effort that hit the target and there was not, in truth, a lot of saving on that and so some considerable improvement in that department is required.

Defensively, on the other hand, Ireland did well for the most part despite the loss of players before and during the game with John Egan and Derrick Williams among those ruled out on Saturday evening and Kevin Long having to be replaced within half an hour of the start.

Still, the collective sense of self confidence was evident in the approach the team took and Jayson Molumby started to really make his mark in the team’s midfield. A late injury, though, makes him another doubt for the game away in midweek.

A positive result there would be hugely welcome for a manager whose side has scored just once in 390 minutes of football but it might, at this stage, be fairer to pass judgement Kenny and his reshaped side after the World Cup campaign has started in the Spring.

Republic of Ireland: Randolph (West Ham); Doherty (Tottenham), Duffy (Celtic), K Long (Burnley), Stevens (Sheffield United); Molumby (Brighton), Hourihane (Aston Villa); Brady (Burnley), Hendrick (Newcastle United), McClean (Stoke City); S Long (Southampton). Subs: Christie (Nottingham Forest) for K Long (25 mins), Horgan (Wycombe) for Brady and Maguire (Preston) for S Long (73 mins), Cullen (Anderlecht) for Molumby (90 mins).

Wales: Hennessey (Crystal Palace); Roberts (Swansea City), Ampadu (Sheffield United), Rodon (Swansea City) Davies (Tottenham); Smith (Manchester City), Morrell (Bristol City); Wilson (Liverpool), Ramsey (Juventus), James (Manchester United); Moore (Cardiff City). Subs: N Williams (Liverpool) for Wilson and Levitt (Charlton) for Smith, Brooks (Bournemouth) for James (77 mins).

Referee: A Sidiropoulos (Greece).