![Shay](https://universitytimes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Shay.jpg)
Ireland 2-1 Armenia
Fionn Ó Dea
On Saturday morning, after Ireland’s rugby defeat to Wales, the country collectively noted that, perhaps, the opposition just wanted the victory more.
For a bizarre and ultimately game-changing 18 minute period at the Aviva on Tuesday however, it seemed that the opposition had no desire to win. Armenia, the final hurdle standing between Ireland and a Euro 2012 play-off, had their goalkeeper sent off after 25 minutes before putting the ball into their own net minutes before half time.
For the opening half at least, the opposition posed little threat. It was left to the home side, therefore, to make things difficult for themselves in a game that was ultimately to have a nervy end.
The opening chance came after 11 minutes with Kevin Doyle and Simon Cox linking up for the first of many times, though Doyle’s strike failed to force more than a routine save from the keeper. The midfield pairing of Glen Whelan and Keith Andrews, though painfully uncreative, kept the visitors at bay, as Armenia resorted to long distance efforts.
Man of the match Cox, stepping comfortably into the shoes of absent captain Robbie Keane, did well to latch onto a long ball in the 25th minute onto to see his lob blocked by the on-rushing goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky who was adjudged to have handled and was harshly sent off. Armenian readers might take comfort in the fact that at least he won’t be suspended for the play-offs! Whelan struck over from the resulting free but it was in the 43rd minute that the deadlock was broken.
Damien Duff’s teasing ball across the goalmouth evaded both Kevin Doyle and the substitute goalkeeper, only for Valeri Aleksanyan, under no pressure whatsoever, to poke the ball into his own net. Aleksanyan surely would have had the home fans singing his praises had they had any idea how to pronounce his name.
The second half began with a period of prolonged pressure from Ireland with Cox and Andrews coming close before Richard Dunne, during his first game in green since his heroics in Moscow, managed to connect with Aiden McGeady’s 60th minute cross to bundle the ball into an empty net. The euphoria was short-lived, however, as Shay Given could only parry Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s low strike into his own net minutes later. A night to forget for goalkeepers.
The strike was a reminder of the quality of the opposition who had scored eleven goals in their previous three games, including a 4-0 drubbing away to Slovakia. Armenia also managed to do what no side (including Italy, Russia, and even the mighty Andorrans!) had done against Ireland in eight games: score.
The goal lead to a tense end with both sides wasting chances, most notably from the perpetually unimpressive Aiden McGeady. The game was cast into further tension with the sending-off of Kevin Doyle for a second cautionable offence ten minutes from time, ruling him out of at least one of the play-off encounters.
Ireland – including the impressive Jonathan Walters, on as a substitute – played the game out well. The 90th minute saw the entirety of the close-to-capacity crowd “stand up for the boys in green” despite the remaining four minutes of injury time. Preemptive perhaps, but it helped see the home side crawl over the finish line and into Thursday’s play-off draw. Roll on the play offs – in Trap we trust!