On the 1st of October, the Republic of Ireland faced off against Austria in the third UEFA Nations League match of the season. Austria came into the match as the massive favourite, with the Austrian national team ranking 33 places above Ireland in the FIFA World Ranking.
An outstanding solo effort by Troy Parrott meant that Ireland found themselves leading 1-0 early on in the match, just 12 minutes in. Shortly after, the game was halted by demonstrators throwing tennis balls with Palestinian flags onto the pitch, in protest of Ireland’s fixture with Israel that took place four days prior.
Play resumed a few minutes later, allowing Parrott to secure a brace for his team, scoring a penalty just before the half time whistle. Although Ireland was able to hold their lead well into the second half, the Irish defense crumbled in the last 20 minutes of the game, conceding two goals in the space of 6 minutes.
Ireland is set to play their second fixture against Israel on October 4th, in Bačka Topola, Serbia. While Ireland was initially supposed to host the game, the venue was moved after significant protests regarding Israeli presence on the island.
