Armenia vs Ireland

However, there was nothing he could do to stop the Armenian goal. Nathan Collins - 7. Pushed incredibly high up the right flank, quickly snuffing out a number ...

He certainly looked to get on the ball, although he did lack a bit of energy in the middle third. His touch let him down on a couple of occasions, including on the Armenia goal. Was a constant threat with his dribbling ability, putting together a couple of impressive mazy runs in the opening half. To his credit, he looked like Ireland's only real threat as they chased the game late on. He was probably Ireland's best defender on the night. He showed a remarkable calmness on the ball, skipping by opposition attackers at times before playing some lovely passes.

Republic of Ireland's Nations League misery continued as Eduard Spertsyan blasted Armenia to victory in Yerevan. The midfielder hammered a long-range ...

Hendrick curled a 69th-minute shot into Yurchenko’s midriff, but it was Armenia who took the lead with 15 minutes left on the clock when Spertsyan was allowed to close in on goal before unleashing a 25-yard strike which beat Kelleher’s despairing dive and went in off the upright. With skipper Seamus Coleman and Enda Stevens operating as wing-backs, Ireland went straight on to the offensive in an effort to seize the initiative, but it was Kelleher, playing in place of the injured Gavin Bazunu, who was called upon to keep out Tigran Barseghyan’s skidding sixth-minute effort after Nathan Collins had surrendered the ball. Callum Robinson had a mishit first-half shot cleared off the line and Chiedozie Ogbene headed over when he might have done better, but they wilted after the break and were caught by a sucker punch, albeit one delivered with aplomb.

Stephen Kenny admitted the Republic of Ireland had only themselves to blame after slipping to defeat in their Nations League opener in Armenia.

We worked really hard and earned our luck with the goal. We created some good chances but we didn’t take them, some half-chances, but they didn’t really have any chances bar the offside goal, so it was disappointing overall.” “I felt the last 20-25 minutes of the first half, we were really in control, but we didn’t start the second half like that at all.