Ireland 1
Georgia 1
Ben Blake reports from the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi
MARTIN O’NEILL WAS adamant that Ireland would find this latest trip to Tbilisi hard work, and it proved to be just that.
Shane Duffy’s first international goal gave them the perfect start but the away side played little football during a hugely-frustrating performance. They were second best for large spells and conceded before half-time with Valeri Kazaishvili finishing clinically.
Lucky to be find themselves one behind, the visitors rallied as the match opened up and they went in search of a late smash-and-grab.
It wasn’t to be and the draw leaves the Boys in Green second in Group D on 13 points from seven games. Serbia have opened up a two-point lead thanks to their victory over Moldova and third-placed Wales can narrow the gap with a favourable result against Austria tonight.
With temperatures as high as 34 degrees celsius this afternoon, Uefa made the decision to include scheduled water breaks throughout the game. However, Slovakian Ivan Kruzliak opted to do a u-turn just before kick-off after it cooled down considerably.
Having nursed an ankle injury all week, Jon Walters was passed fit to earn his 50th international cap and started on the right wing in a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation.
Ciaran Clark returned to take his place alongside Shane Duffy in the centre of defence, while Harry Arter partnered Glenn Whelan in midfield. The Aston Villa man was also handed the captain’s armband in the absence of Seamus Coleman.
Missing four regular starters including goalkeeper Giorgi Loria, Georgia boss Vladimir Weiss made seven changes to the team that drew 2-2 with Moldova in June.
And it was the home side who threatened straight from the off. Spartak Moscow’s Jano Ananidze sent over a cross but Jambul Jigauri, coming in off the opposite wing, couldn’t connect at the back post.
Only four minutes had been played when the visitors were off the mark. A free-kick from just inside the Georgian half was lofted into the box by Cyrus Christie and Duffy rose highest to head into an empty net with keeper Giorgi Makaridze stranded.
Despite going in front, Ireland struggled badly to get a hold of the ball and string any amount of passes together as the home side dominated possession.
A rare knockdown from lone striker Shane Long fell at the feet of Walters and his cross was glanced just wide of the post by James McClean.
With Ireland sitting deep, they continued to invite their opponents on and Kakabadze drove a strike across the goal where Randolph punched away.
Sure enough, Georgia drew level on 35 minutes and deservedly so. Cutting Ireland’s midfield open, Valerian Gvilia found Ananidze, who skipped past a challenge before putting Kazaishvili in.
The San Jose Earthquakes attacking midfielder slipped the ball through the legs of Darren Randolph for his sixth international goal.
Ireland remained under the cosh as the first half drew to a close and Nika Kvekveskiri saw his deflected shot from distance stopped by the Ireland keeper before Makaridze saved another Duffy header.
O’Neill resisted the opportunity to make changes in personnel at the break and the second half began in a similar vein with the excellent Ananidze driving just off target from 20 yards out.
Arter had a well-struck volley kept out by Makaridze and that was his last involvement as Aiden McGeady — the hero at this very stadium three years ago — was introduced with a half hour to play. The Bournemouth man will be disappointed with his performance.
That substitution saw Brady switched into the two in midfield and McGeady took up a position on the left flank.
As the game wore on, Georgia began to tire and Ireland were finding space in the opposing half with more regularity. Long should really have done better after latching onto Christie’s ball but headed over, then McGeady beat his man before shooting straight at a defender.
O’Neill went for broke and threw Nottingham Forest striker Daryl Murphy on for Whelan and the game could easily have gone either way in the final minutes.
McClean had a wonderful chance to bag a winner after Long’s hard work to keep the ball in play, but the West Brom winger’s attempt came off the back of a defender.
Substitute Merebashvili went close just before the board went up to reveal there would be four minutes of added time, and McGeady spurned a golden chance to repeat his trick of 2014 by volleying over.
IRELAND: Randolph, Christie, Clark, Duffy, Ward, Whelan (c) (Murphy 79), Arter (McGeady 61), Brady, McClean, Walters, Long.
GEORGIA: Makaridze, Kakabadze, Kverkvelia, Kashia, Navalovski, Kverkveskiri, Gvilia, Jigauri (Chanturia 75), Ananidze, Kazaishvili (Khocholava 90), Kvilitaia (Merebashvili 86).
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Depressing. What’s the point in going to the World Cup if we can’t pass the ball and are outplayed by a team ranked 112th. This team has seriously rode their luck over the last few years, could have finally ran out.
@Eric Djemba-Djemba: ffs we’re Ireland not Brazil, Georgia have been very fortunate in this group, should have beat Wales and Serbia. This Irish team can play ball, too many players had an off night and the ref was poor. All in all a draw will be a great result if Austria and Wales draw. Beat Serbia Tuesday, top of the group. KTF COYBIG!!!
@Eric Djemba-Djemba: unfortunate*
@Jeremy McCarthy: Love your optimism Jeremy. In what way was the ref poor? When he missed an obvious foul by Clark before Ireland’s goal? Even if it is a draw tonight in Cardiff, it will never be a great result. Two points dropped. We’re up against it to even make the playoffs now.
@Jeremy McCarthy: Open your eyes it was a pathetic performance. I agree he has a limited pool of players and don’t expect them to be world beaters whatsoever. But that was crimes against football and that team can play better.
@Jeremy McCarthy: bulls###t
@Jeremy McCarthy: do u not mean unfortunate.. and look they are Terrible .. come tue night you’ll know that
@Eric Djemba-Djemba:
irish soccer is about big money and the hipe continous every match.
we have the pundits getting well paid for commenting on a crap team..
we have Delaney as head of the FAI
getting nearly half a million a year .plus the rest of his hangers on..getting big money.
The whole soccer set up is a con job…all about Hype and big wages.
and poor performance by over paid
pansies..
@Jeremy McCarthy: get rid of management, O’Neill and Keane overpaid , not a clue between them.
@Eric Djemba-Djemba: agree , that was the worst footballing performance I’ve ever watched by an Ireland team , they couldn’t put two passes together , couldn’t put in a tackle , couldn’t keep possession and every time an Irish player got a ball they always lost possession by hoofing it into no mans land or playing a wishful thinking poxy pass – also disgraceful that O Neill was so defensive and in denial – he should have taken off some of those having a shocker at half time that weren’t good enough to justify leaving on the pitch -some of the BS excuses about refs or how good Georgia are just pure rubbish – the facts are that Georgia are a poor team – demonstrated by the fact that they were up against a dismal team and managed 75% possession but couldn’t beat ireland who were at their worst. Abysmal shite altogether.
Ye are all full of it, one bad performance and ye jump on the players and management team. Ireland beat Serbia Tuesday night, play great and ye will all be singing their praises again. Too quick to slate the team when if you said before qualifying we’d be where we were with 3games to go you would of bitten the hand off it, beating Austria away and should of beatin the Serbs but them performances are forgot about in no time!
@Jeremy McCarthy: If that happens we’ll be delighted Jeremy. You’d want to be absolutely mad not to slate that performance this evening though. Ireland were in a great position after Vienna but three draws since have all but blown that. You could make some kind of argument about the first two but this evening was abysmal. Hoping against hope that Tuesday is better.
If Whelan starts another competitive game for Ireland again it’s a disgrace. The Harty Arter fan club will also be very silent tonight.
@Ewan Scott: How is Harry Arter supposed to impose himself at centre mid when the ball is being booted over his head every time we get it.
@John Kinsella: as much I like arter he was very poor when he did have the ball some of his passes were shocking
@Ewan Scott: Have to agree, being saying it for years, Whelan is absolute Shi*e. Only one that can hold their head up after that display is McClean.
@….: *been
@Yorkie1892: He was poor today but hes a good player and I think we should be playing ball through the middle more which would allow him get on the ball more. I agree with Ewan above that Whelan was poor and I think hes done at this level. He doesnt look to play forward and leaves his partner with a lot to do.
@John Kinsella: definitely. It was like no one wanted the ball. Brady was poor too very anonymous! Needed hoolahan in the middle to thread a few passes
@Yorkie1892: Agreed. Wes has to start against Serbia because if we produce a performance like that we will get torn to shreds. It was poor enough all round today bar McLean imo so they should all be looking to put this right on tuesday night.
@….: Agree about McLean. However I thought Shane Long was decent considering he was living off scraps all night
That’s why the grass is so green in the aviva, constantly being fertilised by that sh$#te
@Shane Mc Guinness: no I think the IRFU cover it in shrinkwrap to protect it ahead of the soccer
How does a team that Roy Keane is involved with play with that kind of attitude! It beggars belief to be honest. Don’t know what’s going on in that dressing room.
69% possession for Gergia!! Embarrassing stuff. Worst performance under O’Niell, surley. Normally you’d get plenty of effort at least, but apart from Mclean, nobody even tried to take the game to Georgia. I like O’Niell but his refusal to bring on Hoolahan is bizarre. Did Hoolahan sleep with his missus or something??
Martin O’Neill smart-arsed as ever in the interview. Does he have any idea how disgusted the public is with that performance? Our group is likely to be the one whose 2nd place team won’t get to the playoffs so winning the group is imperative. Soul-destroying stuff.
@Michael O’Reilly: Compared to the GAA managers in interviews, he comes across as a git. I like the little pop at Keane from Dunphy, he probably does nothing except glare at everyone and whispering sweet nothings into Martin’s ear.
That interview from Martin is nowhere near good enough. “Why should I tell you” because the public are the life blood of irish football. No explanation. Does he even know what he is doing?
Absolute poison. Should be ashamed. Long ball to no one all night. Management need to have a look at themselves.
@Stan Stynes: management? It would not matter if Conte, Lowe, Deschamps or any other big guy came to manage this team. This generation of players is very average, poor in skills, so no matter who you bring in there will be no miracles.
@Emilio Butler: Absolute nonsense. If the right players were chosen we would of easily beat that team tonight. Team selection and tactics were a disaster and the management should be held accountable for that performance. It’s by no means a world class squad but it’s by no means a poor squad either. Could tell from both the player interviews they didn’t have a clue what to do.
@Danny Funkie: oh yeah? Well, where are these right players? The ones that are going to make the difference. It’s simply a very average group of players that’s available because there’s no one out there! You want to name the last Irish player that was good enough to be in a top PL team?
Mick McCarthy was our most attacking and positive manager and you all treated him like dirt.
Great point
Brady darts up the pitch he passes the ball to whelan, Brady runs in to space he’s free and away… Whelan passes the ball back to Randolph.
Whelan gets the ball at the edge of the box, he skips past one, then another he’s playing like a man possessed he’s run the length of the pitch he’s in the box, tap pass to Randolph.
Absolute muck. Probably one of the worst displays by an Irish team ever. Awful stuff.Feel sorry for fans who traveled to see it. Should get their money back after that performance.Shameful.
@Brian Treacy: Only €2 a ticket and overpriced at that…
@Tomás O’Loughlin: Agreed
Watching Ireland play is as painful as rubbin deep heat on yer sack……
Many of our players weighed down with tattoos!
Cac focain asal
We are utterly terrible- one of the worst teams to watch in Europe. O’Neill is a long ball manager- no wonder hes managing Ireland cause the PL wouldnt have his outdated tactics. Amazing how we still have travelling support.
Soccer is so boring the last few years to watch,I find it hard to look at a full game anymore
@dick dastardly:
Have you watched Dundalk FC recently.
Worse Irish performance since Belgium! Why does o Neill insist on ugly defensive football! Look at Italy in the euros we played football then and it was good to watch why can’t we do that. Tonight Georgia looked like Barcelona. 30% posession is pathetic. Mcclean only Irish player that has passion every game. Hopefully Tuesday they improve as I am going haha
@Yorkie1892: Because we’ve a totally s**t midfield, Yorkie. They don’t want to do anything with the ball, so martin has no choice but to do what Giovanni did and hoof it up to the forwards. That’s all we’re ever good for.
We will get mauled if we reach WC 2018 playing like that.
@Conor Cahill: Whelan has to be dropped. Hourihane playing better for villa and far better attacking player.
@Yorkie1892: Not to mention again Martin leaving out Wes Hoolahan.
He’s happy to keep playing the deadwood. Give me strength.
How come northern ireland play nice football and doing very well with supposedly lesser players?
How come every manager wont try and play football when in charge of the republic ?
Anyone who wants that Ireland team to qualify for the World Cup deserves a visit from the men in white coats.
Absolutely pathetic. Martin, you’d better explain yourself, because you just embarrassed Irish soccer as a whole.
The less said about today the better, I’m expecting a totally different performance against Serbia on Tuesday, one thing about Ireland they usually follow up a shit performance with a good one, 3 points against Serbia and we are back on track.
@Tomas Rooney: you’re going doolally if you believe that and we should know.
Dreadful stuff. We’ve some decent players but the brand of football we play is muck.
2 games in a row now M.O.N cocked it up,as manager the blame lies with him and no one else. Whatever the player ratings might be tomorrow some of the positions they ended up in were damaging to the team during the game. Walters as an auxiliary R.b, Whelan as a D.MF is a long standing joke and Brady just dissapeard. Maybe Murphy should have started and given us a proper target man to work from. All of our great early effort going to sh!te now..
Can’t believe how bad it was. If it were France or Spain we might have an excuse but Georgia dominating possession of the ball like that is outrageous. Dunno how O’Neill and Keane can stand over that performance. O’Neills interview not good enough from our international manager either
As usual awful to watch, how O’Neil can send a team out to hoof it nonstop is shameful, and a disgrace in 2017, jack charlton lives on Georgia passed it about like Spain.
@Robert O Farrell: The gas thing is the fai have introduced lots of new guide lines to encourage the kids to play the ball on the ground, after watching this I think these guide lines should be applied to o,Neil and his team.
There is lads getting a few hundred euro playing in the LOI who play with more heart then this national team. Makes a mockery of not giving Sean Maguire his chance in a game like tonights, at least he would give his all which is more than could be said for this squad . I’d beg ,borrow or steal an entire set of 11 players for next tuesday, to a man they were shite. Bring the family to disneyland lads dont waste that money on a trip to Russia!
@Ian O’lone: not just heart but skill too
When a team like Georgia can pass the ball around better you just know that something is not right. This long ball shite went out of fashion 20 years ago. And even then it was shite.
If Wales beat Austria where does it leave use in the table?
@Paul: better for us if Austria win, but a draw is best for us.
@Paul: if wales win tonight and beat moldova on tuesday and we dont beat serbia then wales and us will be on 14 points.Its the exact same scenario for austria.We must win on tuesday.
Perhaps the worst performance of the Martin O’Neil Era. I wonder if McCarthy could have improved things….
Every Irish outfield player made at least one momentum-sapping mistake tonight and it’s hard to impose yourself on a game as a team if that happens. Take Brady’s terrible touch in the first half, McLean’s heavy dribble when through on goal, Duffy booting it out to touch, Long falling over looking for a free etc. Each mistake led to a turnover and possession straight back to Georgia.
I thought we worked very hard without the ball and to be fair, Georgia belied their world ranking of 112.
Not a great result and a poor performance, but we generally follow bad days with good ones so maybe all hope isn’t lost just yet! Onwards to Tuesday!
Martin is a spoofer , whealan is a headless chicken, i give up
90 passes in the first 45 mins !!! 2 passes a minute just let that sink in !!!
@James Conway: that is such BS comment full of pathetic excuses.The fact that northern Ireland play a much better style of football and are successful with a way smaller playing pool and population debunks your argument.
@Michael O’Reilly: irish fans away with the fairies.What do you expect, we’re punching way way above our weight for years, we’re small country with no professional league (reliant on England which is too global for our players to break through) And we expect to dominate other nations ( away from home) with dazzling football, then top a European group ( full of larger nations with huge populations with football the number 1 sport)and get to Last 8 or 4 in the world cup. Not Happenin
@James Conway: most followers of football and the Irish team are realistic about our levels , nobody said we should be playing like Brazil , the main point is that for the team that was out there they played absolutely awful football , bad passing , tackling , tactics and a mindless amount of hoofing the ball into no mans land instead of finding s green shirt and keeping possession , it was fking Georgia FFS , premier league players and a management team of o Neil and keane will know damn well that was abysmal , never ,one league of Ireland there’s amateurs playing in lower leagues here who know that ya can’t win a game hoofing the ball,away like the team did tonite , your very wide of the mark saying fans expect too much , we just expect a better effort at playing the game , disgraceful
Still sticking with you PATHETIC excuses not to play Wes,Brady (in the right position!) Sheridan and MacGuire? Whats the bets he picks the same clowns and tactics (again) in the next match? Bringing on McGeady to “save the day” should be sackable offence.Whelan and Arter proving once again they should have stayed on the team bus. they would have had a better game.
Can’t blame management, the team is an average team capable of the odd good result but not consistent quality.
@Seán Dillon: nonsense. The manager is picking the wrong players in the wrong positons and playing the wrong tactics. Just look how well Norn Iron are doing with so called weaker players. I mean Roy Carroll played for Man United before Sir Roy!
3 words.thats was poison
………”lucky to find themselves one behind, the visitors rallied…” (1) THE FIRST PART OF THAT NONSENSE IS OXYMORONIC……(IRELAND WERE NEVER BEHIND ON THE SCORELINE…..)
Problem is under age teams don’t qualify for big tournaments we don’t a Luka , Xabi or Bale players for penny’s teams in England