Moldova 1-3 Ireland
Republic of Ireland got a bit of a fright in Chisinau but ended up taking all three points as they comfortably beat Moldova 3-1 in tonight’s World Cup qualifier.
The returning Wes Hoolahan took less than two minutes to remind manager Martin O’Neill what he had been missing as he set up the Ireland opener, threading an inch-perfect pass through to the feet of Shane Long, who dispatched with aplomb.
And the Hoolahan-inpsired Irish looked a completely different side to the team that struggled to deal with Georgia at the Aviva on Thursday night.
Yet despite Ireland’s dominance, they could not build on that opening goal and failed to register another effort on target for the remainder of the first half.
The home side were playing a nice brand of football when in possession yet never threatened to penetrate the final third of the pitch.
But a lapse in concentration at the back as the game went into first-half injury time saw Moldova grab an unlikely leveller as Igor Bugaev raced through and slotted the ball past Darren Randolph.
Normal service resumed, eventually, in the 69th minute as James McClean found the back of the net, but not before a few forays from the home side, which had the Irish looking a little bewildered at times.
But a moment of Hoolahan genius, nutmegging a pass into the path of Seamus Coleman, resulted in the third goal as McClean was on hand again to latch onto the captain’s cross to seal the victory.
Wes' Welcome Return
Hoolahan stamped his mark on this game in the opening moments setting up Long’s goal in the second minute, but while the Norwich man’s qualities are never in doubt, his mere presence on the pitch brings every player in a green jersey to life.
Ireland looked a completely different outfit with Hoolahan pulling the strings and always showing for the ball, which gave other players the confidence to hold onto the ball and look for a pass every time.
If one moment in the first half summed up Hoolahan’s influence it was when everyone was expecting a cross from the left, the former Shelbourne man spotted Glenn Whelan arriving at the edge of the box and teed him up to perfection.
Of course, nothing materialised from that particular incident but something similar happened in the second half as Hoolahan nutmegged a player to send Coleman down the flank. The result was sealed just seconds later.
Long Drought Finally Ended
Shane Long scored his first goal of the season and it was a very well-taken effort to give Ireland the lead.
The striker won the initial header in the build-up to the goal and was alert to be on the move before Hoolahan rolled him in for the opener.
Long’s pace was a constant threat all night as Ireland maintained a pressing game, starting from the front and it was a major reason why they bossed the opening half as Moldova would inevitably mis-place a pass to give away possession.
Worryingly, that is two games in a row that Long has had to come off injured and tonight’s knock looked worse than Thursday’s as he held his hamstring before departing. With just four weeks to the next game in Austria, the manager will hope that Long can return to full fitness.
Brady’s Absence Exposed at Set Pieces
Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick’s creativity on the pitch were not too badly missed as Wes Hoolahan ran the show for Ireland tonight, but there were occasions when the Norwich midfielder’s expertise with the dead ball was sorely needed.
Ireland found themselves in several great positions winning frees on the edge of the Moldova box but there was no one who looked confident to test the goalkeeper, as Ireland tried to rely on Whelan’s power.
Likewise, no decent deliveries were sent into the box as Duffy and Clark moved forward to attack the Moldova defence. Brady’s abilities will be much-needed in Vienna next month.
Defensive Concerns Remain for O’Neill
Despite controlling the game throughout, there were areas of concern in this Ireland performance, which may have been punished by better opposition.
The Moldova goal was pure schoolboy stuff as both centre-halves were found too high up the pitch with Duffy’s decision-making really questionable.
And there were other moments when this centre-half pairing looked far from settled with both defenders giving away needless free-kicks and looking out of position on more than one occasion.
Darren Randolph is perhaps not without blame in these matters as the keeper was slow to come off his line and made some bad decisions tonight as well as in Thursday’s game with Georgia. Lack of first-team football could be a factor with his indecision.
Man of the Match
On any other night, James McClean would have swept up the man of the match award as his two goals and high-energy performance secured the three points for Ireland tonight.
However, even the Derry man will hardly begrudge the award going to Wes Hoolahan on his return to the Ireland starting XI.
Hoolahan’s performance has been lauded from all quarters but there were several others that deserve a mention, most notably captain Seamus Coleman who worked tirelessly up and down the right flank, setting up the final goal of the night.
Glenn Whelan looked calm and composed throughout especially when Ireland looked like they were starting to lose their way early in the second half. Shane Long, Jonathan Walters – when he went up front on his own – and substitute Callum O’Dowda also impressed.
What the Manager Said
On the players
"I have to do a job here. My job is pretty important to me. Players are very important. Players are great. Players have to respond to things you say as well and they have responded. They have responded the last couple of years."
On tonight’s performance
"It's great. We played very, very well. We started off brilliantly. Obviously Shane scored early for us. It settled us down. We could have maybe scored two or three before half-time. Then there was a bit of a dunderhead moment and we concede and suddenly it's parity again at half-time. So we had to go and do it against in the second half and of course what it did was give them a lift.
"They came in at half-time absolutely buoyant, we were a bit deflated, but even so we pulled it around and won the game and we deserved to win the game. And we played well.
"I'm delighted we've won. We made it tricky for ourselves in that minute or two before half time but we came out in the second half, we've created a number of chances, taken a few of them and scored three goals."
On Wales dropping points
"That came as no surprise to me. The games are tough. They are tough. I think to try and read anything it after three games is a wee bit too early. But we're delighted tonight. We've won away from home and it's good. At least then who knows what might? We could get a couple of injuries, we could get a couple back, I don't know."
On James McClean
"Brilliant.. Really, really brilliant. He does some fantastic things in the game, closes players down pretty well. He can, because he is a left winger, sometimes goes in to close people and maybe misses the one that they might play through. Having said this, he is a left winger.
"He scored two goals for us tonight. Got himself in centre-forward positions and did brilliantly for us. He has the heart the size of a lion, we're delighted with him. And he must be delighted himself tonight."
Moldova: Nicolae Calancea; Igor Armaş (Victor Golovatenco 36), Andrei Cojocari, Alexandru Gaţcan (capt), Alexandru Dedov, Vitalie Bordian, Veaceslav Posmac, Vadim Bolohan, Gheorghe Andronic (Sidorenco 83), Igor Bugaev, Eugen Zasaviţchi (Eugenie Cebotaru 61).
Ireland: Darren Randolph; Seamus Coleman (capt), Shane Duffy, Ciaran Clark, Stephen Ward; Glenn Whelan, James McCarthy (David Meyler 81), James McClean, Jonathan Walters, Wes Hoolahan (Eunan O’Kane 86); Shane Long (Callum O’Dowda 62).
Referee: Jakob Kehlet (Den).
