It was an entertaining clash at the Aviva Stadium.
There were fans at the Aviva last night who had flights and hotels booked for Tuesday’s game against Armenia with American dreams in their hearts.
One of them was beside me, having the most understandable half-time meltdown you’re likely to see.
Forty-five minutes later though and any despair was turned on its head. Adam Idah’s injury-time equaliser hit you with a release of joy so rarely felt in Irish football nowadays. The kind worth savouring.
As maybe, despite all the other glaring concerns arising from the game, we should enjoy moments like that for what they are.
Is this as good as it gets? If the first half display is an indicator of things to come, then it’s certainly a possibility.
Before a scrappy set-piece and a campaign-changing red card early in the second half, this was, as Richie Sadlier described it, ‘a horror show’.
Hungary horror show.
The first-half of any game, anywhere, is representative of how a team has been set up by their manager and, much like Stephen Kenny’s Ireland career-ending first forty-five in Athens, Heimir’s Ireland were torn to shreds in a game of similar importance.
Because Ireland prevailed – with a degree of fortune – against Bulgaria and Finland, the manager’s flexibility and perceived ingenuity has been applauded.
Jake O’Brien is used to playing right-back for Everton, for instance, but when you have an unnatural centre-back on the flank, an unnatural left-back in Doherty, an unnatural left-midfielder in Manning, Collins and O’Shea inexplicably swapped, no orthodox wingers in the line-up and no left-footers across the back, small issues do begin to compound.
Sure, Heimir’s communication with the media has been excellent. He certainly sells a ‘common sense’ brand where intelligent pragmatism is central, but getting good at defending would be a helpful first step towards becoming the ‘hard to beat’ international side described.
Jason Knight, who showed well in the second half, played much of his best football under the previous regime in the final third with relentless pressing and occasional tidy attacking contributions.
Now, however, he’s being tasked to protect an awkwardly assembled back four-turn-five alongside Josh Cullen – that’s all while an in-form and more defensively effective Jayson Molumby has been omitted from the squad entirely.
This team selection from the manager gifted Hungary with two early goals before a season ticket holder to my left even managed to make it to his seat.
It was dysfunctional at best and could have been even worse only for the contribution of Player of the Match Caoimhin Kelleher. This decent group of players didn’t deserve to be sent out to battle so woefully organised.
Spirit.
The theatre of the turnaround was magnificent and it could be argued that Irish football fans are in no position, at this stage, to criticise positive results based on performances.
But I can’t ignore my view that very little from the game suggested this management team has the capacity to lead Ireland to a first World Cup in 24 years.
Crystal Palace coach Paddy McCarthy has proven an incredibly popular coach on the training ground and could be a future manager down the line, but any influence he might be having was undone by a wonky selection and reluctance to switch to a more attacking shape sooner in the contest.
In contrast, some John O’Shea fingerprints were apparent for the first time in a while. The image of right-back Jake O’Brien as Ireland’s furthest forward player, to the point where he was either being caught offside or tasked with delivering endline crosses, harked back to issues seen in O’Shea’s friendly games last year when Seamus Coleman was in the same role.
This version was arguably worse – or at least more pronounced – given O’Brien is a giant centre-back.
Momentum.
Still, I thank the lord that the second half fell in Ireland’s favour. It’s always satisfying to see a set-piece come off, even if Hungary were clearly the better equipped team in regular play.
So much better, despite their glaring limitations, that it wouldn’t have been a shock to see them kill chances of an Irish comeback in the next period of the match.
But any real chance of that happening was suddenly quashed when Roland Sallai stupidly and violently got himself sent off on the 52nd minute.
From that moment on, Ireland became an irresistible rock flying downhill, battering Hungary into submission, one cross at time.
The visitors retreated and retreated, trying their best to overcome the challenges of their numerical disadvantage, the roar of the energised Irish crowd and a home team now with a world of momentum behind them.
In a way, that opening ten minute period of the second half meant that that the closing 35 minutes could be one type of game and one type of game only.
And although Ireland played their part pretty well – with Manning and Ferguson among the standouts – the script felt like it was written for them.
Final Word
Still, as we’ve learned from recent years, results do matter.
Winning – and this felt like a win – is a habit and the outcome will do no harm to instilling belief in this team.
They have shown real character under Heimir and just as well – the odds are that they will need to come from behind again.
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