Match report:
FULL TIME: Georgia 1-1 Republic of Ireland
And that’s that! Ireland didn’t play well, but they’ve earned a point. Group leaders Serbia beat Moldova 3-0 tonight, so that’s some ground lost. And Wales may close the gap behind later against Austria. But there’s nothing that can’t be fixed against Serbia at home on Tuesday. Meanwhile, over to Cardiff ...
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90 min +3: Khocholava replaces Kazaishvili. Ireland launch it long. Walters wins a header, and the ball drops to McGeady, ten yards out! He’s got enough time and space to wait for the ball to drop and put his laces through it ... but leans back and larrups it over the bar. What a chance to steal all three points!
90 min +2: Free kick for Georgia, midway in Irish territory. Ananidze’s delivery is appalling, however, so no drama here.
90 min: There will be four added minutes.
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88 min: Kashia slips the ball down the left wing for Merebashvili. The lively sub drops a shoulder to slip inside, then whistles a fine low shot inches wide of the bottom right. Not sure Randolph had that covered. Both teams could have won this at the last.
86 min: Merebashvili replaces Kvilitaia. And once the play restarts, Ireland nearly execute the smash and grab! Long races after a ball down the left. It looks as though it’s going out. Not quite. Or maybe perhaps. It’s very close. But either way, Georgia stop, Long doesn’t, and the referee waves play on! Long slips the ball inside for McClean, who bursts into the area down the inside-left channel! He tries to clip the ball over the outrushing Makaridze, but can’t quite get clean purchase on it. A pinball game results between Makaridze’s arm and Kverkvelia’s face, before the keeper eventually snaffles with Murphy lurking.
84 min: Makaridze takes his own sweet time over a goal kick. The first sense that the home side would be happy with a point against high-flying opponents.
82 min: McClean and Christie combine well down the right, earning another corner for Ireland. Before the set piece, Murphy and Gvilia are bollocked by the referee for some common-or-garden nonsense. Brady’s eventual delivery isn’t all that.
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81 min: Kazaishvili one-twos with Kvilitaia down the inside-left channel. He nearly latches onto the ball in the area, but Randolph reads the danger and is off his line to blooter free.
79 min: McClean bustles down the right and earns a corner by fizzing a shot towards the near post from a tight angle, Makaridze forced to turn it wide. Before the set piece can be taken, Whelan is replaced by Murphy. And finally Walters gets his nut on the corner, but it’s easily claimed by the keeper.
77 min: Chanturia’s first act sees him very nearly skin Ward on the right. Then he’s looking to curl a shot into the top left from the right-hand corner of the Irish box, Kakabadze having retrieved a lost cause down the wing to the surprise of the men in green.
75 min: Another admin special! Jigauri is replaced by Chanturia. Then McClean is booked for lashing a shot at goal, the referee having already blown up for a free kick to Georgia.
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73 min: McGeady goes on a power skitter down the inside-right channel. He’s got options either side, but decides to shoot from 25 yards. Nope! Then another wave of Irish attack, as Brady sends a rising heatseeker towards the top left from distance. Makaridze claims that one. Half-chances occurring at either end now, it’s difficult to know which way this will go. But at least Ireland are giving as good as they’re getting now, which hasn’t always been the case today.
71 min: Kazaishvili goes on a baroque ramble down the left, after Brady cheaply concedes possession in the centre of the park. He nearly can-opens Ireland on the edge of the area, twisting and turning, but eventually runs out of space and pokes further down the channel towards Ananidze, who is practically on the byline, miles offside.
69 min: A magnificent surge down the right by Christie, who starts from deep, shakes off a couple of knackered challenges, exchanges passes with McClean, and whips high into the Georgian area. Long rises to meet the ball, but can only flash his header, meant for the top left, well over the bar. But there are signs of Irish improvement.
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67 min: Georgia have lost a little of their swagger, though. A few minutes ago, the hosts were stroking it around like Swansea City circa 2012. Now it’s a little less impressive: Barcelona 2017 maybe. Are they tiring? If nothing else, Ireland have been snapping at their heels a lot.
64 min: Space for Jigauri out on the right. On the corner of the box, he shapes to curl one into the top left. Poor decision, because it’s blocked, and he had Kvilitaia to his right on the overlap. His team-mate would have been clear into the box, albeit facing a shot from a tight angle.
62 min: Martin O’Neill makes his first change: McGeady on, Arter off. Soon after play restarts, Jigauri clips the ankles of McClean, who was looking to burst down the left. That’s a booking. What an admin-heavy 60 seconds.
60 min: Thing is, as poorly as Ireland have played, they could easily have had three goals now. A long throw from Christie on the right is only half cleared by Georgia. The ball drops to Arter, who has a lash at goal from distance. His looping, dipping, swerving effort goes straight down Makaridze’s throat, but that is much better from the visitors.
59 min: Arter hooks a ball down the left. McClean chases, and earns a corner off the nearest defender. Ireland’s second of the match. Brady takes, looking for Duffy, but the goalscorer can’t get his head to the ball this time. Sweet relief from Georgian pressure, though. And perhaps something to take a little confidence from.
57 min: Long is reduced to chasing back and upending Kvekveskiri, who was busy juggling the ball out on the right wing.
55 min: More triangles, this time leading to a corner down the right. From the set piece, Kvilitaia duels with McClean. The ball’s half cleared, but recycled to Ananidze out on the right. Ananidze has plenty of time and space, but witlessly balloons a cross over the Irish area and out of play on the left. The visitors are gifted time to regroup and breathe.
53 min: Georgia keep the ball for the best part of two minutes, pinging it hither and yon, here, there and everywhere. Well, nearly: the pretty triangles break down in the final third. Ireland are at least keeping their defensive shape. But otherwise, they’re getting a bit of a chasing right now, they can’t get a sniff. Martin O’Neill would surely grab a draw with both hands.
51 min: Navalovski strides with great intent down the left and scoops a wild cross out of play. But Ireland are once again second to pretty much everything. The early signs in this half suggest nothing much has changed.
49 min: Jigauri glides in from the right. Whelan tries to win the ball off him, but the tackle’s not up to much, and it goes straight through to Ananidze, 25 yards from goal. Ananidze very nearly threads a shot into the bottom corner, first time. Inches away, though Randolph may have had it covered were it on target. A decent effort.
47 min: A quiet start to the second half. Ireland go long a couple of times.
And we’re off again! Ireland get the ball rolling for the second half. No changes.
Half-time satire: “Do you think Glenn Whelan will come on in the second half?” wonders Liam S Murray. “Apparently he protects the defence and helps Ireland keep the ball, both of which we’ve been - predictably - rubbish at during the first half.”
HALF TIME: Georgia 1-1 Republic of Ireland
As if affronted by Ireland nearly taking the lead again, Georgia lay siege to the visitors’ goal for the last 60 seconds of the half. A few twists and turns on the edge of the box, plus a couple of hopeful snapshots into the green thicket. But nothing constructive. Ireland make it to the break without suffering further scoreboard damage. The home side have been thoroughly dominant.
44 min: Ireland win their first corner of the game, the result of a long ball into the mixer, Walters pestering Kashia. And it nearly results in a goal, the set piece sent long from the right, Duffy rising and sending a header towards the top left. But Makaridze reacts well this time, parrying with a strong hand. Georgia clear their lines.
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43 min: Some midfield scrappiness. Ireland will take that right now.
41 min: Corner for Georgia on the right, Kakabadze causing McClean all manner of bother. It’s cleared, but Ireland could really do with hearing the half-time whistle here. They’re all over the shop, seriously rocking, unable to string any number of passes together. Georgia are dominating this game.
40 min: Ireland can’t get a sniff of the ball at all. Kvekveskiri has a batter from the best part of 30 yards, looking for the bottom left with a fierce daisycutter. Randolph smothers, a fine save given the ball had taken a flick off Duffy on the way through.
38 min: The home crowd are into this now all right, empty seats or no. The place is jumping. And no wonder, for Georgia are still dominating possession. They deserve to be on terms.
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36 min: Kvekveskiri is booked for a two-footed lunge on McClean. He’s fortunate to escape red there, as both sets of studs were showing and he was off the ground, albeit only momentarily in both respects. Nevertheless, a case for being dangerous and out of control.
GOAL! Georgia 1-1 Republic of Ireland (Kazaishvili 34)
This is a gorgeous team goal. Kashia, from a deep central position, slips the ball right to Jigauri. He first-times a diagonal pass back inside to Ananidze, who draws a couple of green shirts on the edge of the box, lovely feet, and slides Kazaishvili away down the inside left. Kazaishvili enters the area, draws Randolph, and slips it past the keeper to equalise. Very pretty.
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33 min: Serbia are currently 2-0 up in Moldova, pretty much as expected. The top two in Group D going very nicely. Bad news for Wales.
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31 min: This is good work by McClean, though. He makes up for that nonsense by winning a ball he had no right to win in a footrace down the left, and hooking the ball back to Long on the edge of the area, to the left of the D. Long looks to stroke a Le Tissieresque lazy volley into the top right. High and wide. It’d have been some goal, to be fair, and it wasn’t so far away. Lovely football, and top marks for ambition and style.
28 min: McClean, from a deep position down the left, misses his conversion attempt to the right of the posts. He has the good grace to hang his head after that pass, Ireland on the front foot for once with men in the box.
27 min: Ireland are struggling to keep hold of the ball. They can’t keep on like this.
25 min: And now Navalovski digs one out from wide on the left. The Irish back line is all turned around, and had Kvilitaia timed his run into the box properly, it would surely be 1-1. But the vicious cross doesn’t meet a white shirt, and lines are eventually cleared.
23 min: Kakabadze is a danger. He makes good down the right again, and his high cross-cum-shot requires a strong parry away from goal by Randolph.
22 min: Another free kick for Ireland, just inside the Georgian half. Brady and Duffy try to replicate the antics of the fourth minute, the set piece swung in from deep on the right. But while the keeper is once again wheeling around like a teenager full of Special Brew, Duffy can’t get his head on the ball, and the flag goes up for offside anyway.
20 min: Kakabadze glides down the right and whips a fine cross infield. Jigauri, to the right of the D, stoops and pokes a header diagonally left. The ball only just evades Kvilitaia in the middle. Ireland stream straight up the other end, Walters hoicking a cross in from the right, McClean guiding a downward header wide left from eight yards. So close to a goal at either end.
19 min: Georgia have enjoyed 78% possession so far. But of course the most meaningful statistic, etc., and so on.
17 min: Ward clatters into Jigauri in the midfield. He’s maybe a little fortunate to escape a booking; he’s one yellow card away from missing the clash with Serbia.
15 min: Kvilitaia rises on the edge of the Ireland area to meet a deep left-field cross. He meets it with his eyebrows but can’t get enough purchase on it. Then another wave of attack, as Kvekveskiri has a dig from distance. Duffy is forced to slide to intercept and hook the ball out for a corner. The set piece doesn’t lead to anything, but this is better from Georgia.
13 min: Arter robs the ball from Jigauri in the midfield and sets Long away on a romp upfield. It could be a good break, this, but the ref blows up for one of those home-crowd-pleasing decisions. A little generous.
11 min: Ireland haven’t seen much of the ball since the goal. Or, more accurately, haven’t managed to string too many passes together. Georgia have enjoyed the lion’s share. But whenever the visitors do attack, the hosts panic. Long is bundled over down the right wing by Navalovski, and here’s another free kick in a dangerous position. Brady takes it, curling a high one to the far post. Makaridze comes to claim, and once again makes a royal balls of the job. Fortunately for the hapless keeper, the ball flies out to the left of the goal, but that wasn’t convincing at all.
9 min: The lively Ananidze has a look down the right this time, but his cross is chested down calmly by Clark and gathered by Randolph, assured defensive work registering a big fat zero on the Makaridze-o-meter.
7 min: That’s got the stadium bouncing. A lot of empty seats, so it’s vital the away fans bring something to the table. And so, after that early goal, here they are. All a bit scrappy on the field meanwhile.
5 min: Makaridze is claiming he was clanked upside the head as he failed to reach that hoick into the box. But the referee isn’t having a bar of it. On the touchline, the Georgia coach Vladimir Weiss is purple with anger.
GOAL! Georgia 0-1 Republic of Ireland (Duffy 4)
Walters is clattered in the midfield, to the right of the centre circle. Christie launches the free kick long into the box. The keeper Makaridze comes out to claim. But he doesn’t reach the ball, and Duffy, 12 yards out and level with the left-hand post, rises to loop a header over the flapping custodian and into the empty net! Now that’s a fast start!
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3 min: Ireland get their first feel of the ball and take a while to grab their breath. A fast start there from Georgia. Nearly a very fast start. But speaking of which...
And we’re off! Georgia get the ball rolling, and knock it around the back awhile. For the best part of a minute, in fact. Then Ananidze finds a bit of space down the left and swings deep. Jigauri is coming in from the other side. The cross is too high, but Ireland will be thankful for that, because they were very light at the back there. Goal kick, and the only way is up for the Irish!
The teams are out! Georgia in white shirts and red shorts, Ireland in all green. Anthems being belted out. We’ll be off before you know it!
Martin O’Neill speaks! “Both teams have accepted the need for a water break. [It’s a balmy evening in Tbilisi with the thermometer pushing 30.] You never know, you might have gathered momentum, or you might need the respite, so it depends how it’s going at the time. I’m not worried about starting Jon Walters. He’s flying. He’s had a blow to the leg, but he’s recovered and is ready to go. Georgia has some exceptionally good talent, so we’re going to forget about their results. They should have more points on the board, they can play. We have to be on the front foot.”
Georgia have yet to win in Group D, though they did manage to eke out a draw in Wales last October. Their manager Vladimir Weiss has given his line-up a good old shoogle, retaining just four of the XI who started their 2-2 draw in Moldova last time round, though injuries and suspension are contributory factors alongside a general lack of patience.
The visitors meanwhile hand Jonathan Walters his 50th cap, after the veteran striker, who salvaged a 1-1 draw in the last round of fixtures against Austria, won his battle for fitness. There are only two changes to the starting XI for that aforementioned fixture: Ciaran Clark and Shane Long replace Kevin Long and Jeff Hendrick.
The teams
Georgia: Makaridze, Kashia, Kverkvelia, Ananidze, Kazaishvilli, Kvekveskiri, Kvilitaia, Gvilia, Jigauri, Kakabadze, NAvalovski.
Subs: Revishvili, Kvaskhvadze, Lobzhanidze, Khocholava, Daushvili, Dvalishvili, Chanturia, Sikharulidze, Shergelashvili, Merebashvili, Arabidze, Aburjania.
Republic of Ireland: Randolph, Christie, Clark, Duffy, Ward, Whelan, Arter, Brady, McClean, Walters, S Long.
Subs: Westwood, Elliot, O’Shea, Keogh, McGeady, Murphy, O’Dowda, K Long, Hoolahan, Hourihane, Meyler, Hayes.
Referee: Ivan Kružliak (Slovakia)
Good afternoon, and welcome to the first half of our quick-fire Uefa Group D 2018 World Cup qualifier MBM double header ... in which Ireland have Georgia, and keeping on Serbia’s tail at the top of the table, on their mind.
Kick off is at 8pm in the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi, a time that translates as 5pm back home in Dublin. Stay tuned! Go nowhere! It’s on!
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