There will be no North American adventure for the Republic of Ireland this summer after penalties punctured their World Cup qualification dreams on a cold Thursday night in Prague.
For so long, the Boys in Green rose to the occasion in a partisan atmosphere but twice fell foul of momentum swings.
A two-goal lead via Troy Parrott and a Matej Kovar own goal was wiped out in the latter stages of a normal time that ended 2-2.
And then the shootout went the same way as misses from Finn Azaz and Alan Browne saw a momentary advantage slip away - Jan Kliment firing in the clincher to send the Czech's through to a play-off final.
Thus, next Tuesday at Aviva Stadium will now no longer be the shot at qualification that Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side dreamed of, but a friendly that no one wanted against North Macedonia.
Hallgrimsson made two changes to the team which started in their famous win in Hungary last November.
With Liam Scales suspended, it was no surprise to see Southampton's Ryan Manning come in at left wing back.
But the significant selection call was Jack Taylor being named in midfield alongside Jayson Molumby, with the Ipswich man replacing the injured Josh Cullen.
The Irish side kicked off, attacking towards the vibrant corner housing the Irish fans.
Reports that a significant number of Boys in Green supporters had acquired tickets outside the margins of the meagre away allocation proved well founded. Pockets of green were dotted around the 19,340-seater venue - although wisely not near the end housing the hosts’ ultras.
On the pitch, the Ireland manager had predicted a war-like battle and the early stages indicated that neither side would be shy in going direct towards their front lines.
Ireland looked bullish from the off and their tenacious start was almost rewarded twice in quick succession within six minutes. A Jake O’Brien long-throw was only cleared out towards Parrott at the edge of the Czech box.
The AZ striker nudged it across to Nathan Collins. The Irish captain’s strike was inches from breaking the deadlock, instead smacking the crossbar via the fingertips of Matej Kovar.
The resulting corner saw Collins get his head to the ball but he could not direct it on target.
The centre-back would be at the centre of much of the drama in those early stages. Six minutes later, he would go down in the box, waving an arm imploringly towards the referee, indicating that he had been caught by the boot of Czech veteran Vladimir Darida inside the hosts’ box.
Play went on for two more minutes before Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg got a word in his ear from VAR.
He would rush over to his screen and return, pointing towards the spot much to an outraged Darida’s chagrin. Up stepped Parrott and despite the home fans’ boos ringing loudly in his ears, the Dubliner confidently dispatched his penalty beyond the reach of Kovar, before running headlong towards the corner housing the Irish fans.
An impressive Ireland did not look to sit on their advantage, earning a corner down the right on 22 minutes.
It was delivered towards the far post where Dara O’Shea had extricated himself from the attention of his marker. The Ipswich man nodded the ball back from whence it came.
It struck ex-West Ham defender Vladimir Coufal and then the woodwork which this time aided Ireland’s cause.
Another diversion off the hapless Kovar saw the ball make its way back towards the goal-line.
And any doubt that it had crossed the rubicon was quickly dispelled by the referee who pointed to the centre circle much to the joy of the Irish in the arena.
But then a 26th minute corner at the other end for the Czechs saw the potential for the tide to turn. Like the Irish setpiece it was aimed towards the far post and directed back towards the melee in the middle.
Unlike Ireland’s penalty when VAR had intervened, this time Nyberg immediately pointed to the spot, penalising Manning for a needless tug on the back of Czech captain Ladislav Krejci’s jersey when the latter did not look favoured to keep the ball in.
Caoimhín Kelleher, who had saved four penalties this season, including one for his country in Lisbon, was unable to prevent Schick from converting high into the net. That left Ireland leading at the break by a more precarious 2-1 scoreline than their early efforts had deserved.
Czech boss Miroslav Koubek clearly did not like what he saw, bringing on the jettisoned Tomas Soucek among two half-time alterations and the home side started the second period on the front foot.
On 51 minutes, Coufal dug out a cross that Krejci flicked towards goal. The ball looped upwards, taking an age to drop but Kelleher watched it all the way, just about tipping it on to the roof of his net.
But Ireland fashioned their first opportunity of the second half and it was inches from a third. This time, the post proved a false friend as Molumby’s driven half-volley from just outside the area struck its underbelly and slithered away.
However, the next ten minutes began to morph into a mini-siege as the Czechs peppered the Irish rearguard with crosses before the visitors lifted that stranglehold.
With 11 minutes to go, Parrott headed a long throw towards goal. For a moment it looked to be sneaking in but Kovar did well to tip around the post.
But Ireland would suffer a bitter blow at the other end with four minutes of normal time remaining. A corner swung in by Czech sub Michal Sadilek was met at the near post by Ladislav Krejci, who marked his first night as captain with an equaliser.
And the Czechs would almost snatch the win at the end of normal time as Soucek made a nuisance of himself in the box.
But Ireland escaped but only into the jaws of extra-time.
Parrott had one long distance effort which proved wayward, before Soucek almost stole in at the other end but could not keep his own down.
There was momentary tension for Ireland as the clocked ticked 100 when a VAR check was pronounced but Molumby’s arm was not deemed to be in an unnatural position as he charged down a Schick shot.
It looked to be a great escape briefly after the Irish countered quickly through Parrott who released extra-time sub Adam Idah. But a last-ditch challenge prevented the Corkman from bearing down on goal.
With five minutes of the 120 remaining, Hallgrimsson went to a tactical switch that had worked in Budapest. With Sammie Szmodics brought on, Finn Azaz was moved into a deeper role.
However, in a worrying moment, Szmodics was felled by a collision with Czech defender Stepan Chaloupek, leaving the Ipswich forward prone on his back.
There was immediate concern as the Irish physios rushed on along with a stretcher. After a lengthy pause, Szmodics was carried off and the newly-qualified Harvey Vale brought on for his debut.
It would be a brief run-out for the QPR schemer with the battle to be decided in a shootout.
The Czechs won the toss which meant the takers would be facing into the end housing the ultras.
Ireland started confidently as Parrott and Idah dispatched their penalties with aplomb. But the Czechs kept pace until Mojmir Chytil’s weak effort was saved by Kelleher.
Robbie Brady then sent Kovar the wrong way, briefly opening up a golden opportunity for Ireland.
But Azaz's leftwards penalty was stopped by Kovar and when Browne, who had already endured shootout pain in a play-off against Slovakia five-and-a-half years ago, also missed, it would prove Ireland’s undoing.
Jan Kliment would be the one to step up and crash the party and send Irish players and fans home despondent.
Czechia: Matej Kovar; Vladimir Coufal (Adam Karabec '82), Tomas Holes (Stepan Chaloupec ‘46), Robin Hranac, Ladislav Krejci (capt), David Jurasek (Michal Sadilek ‘82); Vladimir Darida (Tomas Soucek ‘46), Lukas Provod; Pavel Sulc (Jan Kliment ‘102); Tomas Chory (Mojmir Chytil ‘73), Patrik Schick.
Republic of Ireland: Caoimhín Kelleher; Séamus Coleman (Jimmy Dunne ‘96), Jake O'Brien, Nathan Collins (capt), Dara O’Shea, Ryan Manning (Alan Browne ‘67); Jayson Molumby (Sammie Szmodics ‘115, Harvey Vale ‘120), Jack Taylor ((Robbie Brady ‘67), Finn Azaz; Chiedozie Ogbene (Adam Idah ‘96), Troy Parrott.
Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
