After Georgia did them a favour, the Republic of Ireland did the necessary. Following Scotland’s defeat in Tbilisi, Martin O’Neill’s side clambered above Gordon Strachan’s team and into third place in Group D. Victory over Gibraltar was mostly frill-free but the day’s results could make this a key turning point on the road to the European Championships.
The manner of the Irish win hardly extinguished Scottish hopes of recovering lost ground, nor alarmed the current occupants of the group’s automatic qualifying spots, Germany and Poland, but by the end of the evening the Irish were in a far healthier position in Europe’s tightest group than they had been at the start.
Nothing sold in the bars of the Estádio Algarve before kick-off against Gibraltar could have raised the spirits of the 3,000 or so Irish fans as much as Georgia’s victory over the Scots did. Irish players were buoyed, too. “There wasn’t any big cheer but there was a determination to make sure we won so [Scotland’s defeat] would count for something,” said O’Neill of his side’s mindset before confronting the group’s tiddlers.
Any lineup that O’Neill named would have looked strong in comparison to that of the lowest-ranked team in Europe. Jeff Wood, the Englishman marking his first match as the manager of the hosts, named an entirely Gibraltar-based squad, including eight players from the territory’s leading club, Lincoln Red Imps. All are part-time and bidding for a smidgen of the renown of the territory’s best-known name in football, the Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro.
O’Neill, meanwhile, deployed a side that was close to his first-choice, although Séamus Coleman was omitted because of a tight hamstring. In his absence, Cyrus Christie was given a first competitive international start. The Derby County full-back made an eye-catching contribution but Coleman will return to face Georgia on Monday if as fit as O’Neill expects him to be.
Christie created Ireland’s first chance in the sixth minute with a powerful run down the right that led to a free-kick on the edge of the area, which Robbie Brady curled goalwards, only to be denied by Jordan Perez. The goalkeeper intervened again two minutes later to scramble away a 10-yard shot from Jonathan Walters. A minute later John O’Shea headed another Brady free-kick against the crossbar. Their joy at Scotland’s result seemed to be reflected in a vibrant start, but Ireland soon sagged.
There was a familiar shortage of inventive passing or running from Ireland’s central midfield, with James McCarthy, Glenn Whelan and Jeff Hendrick seldom venturing beyond the obvious. At least Wes Hoolahan, again the most cunning player in green, produced a fine pass for Robbie Keane in the 18th minute but the striker volleyed into the sidenetting.
The farthest into a match that Gibraltar had gone without conceding was the 28 minutes that they survived against Germany and it was starting to look like they would surpass that feat here. But Christie thwarted them in the 27th minute by helping himself to a milestone moment, marking his first start for his country with his first goal. And pleasingly artful it was too, as, after bursting past two opponents, the defender sent a low shot with the outside of his boot into the bottom corner from an acute angle.
Shay Given could have been mistaken for just another Irish tourist on the Algarve until he was forced to work just after the half-hour, saving a couple of long-range strikes by Liam Walker. Unseemly panic broke out in the Irish defence when Gibraltar mounted modest attacks. More formidable opponents might have taken advantage.
Sloppiness spread through Ireland’s play. But Gibraltar were worse and early in the second half Ireland quashed any Scottish hopes of an unlikely reprieve.
Four minutes after the break Keane tapped in his 66th international goal after a cross by Walters was deflected onto the post and into the striker’s path. Keane celebrated with customary glee and did so again two minutes later after stroking in a penalty following Walker’s trip on Hoolahan. Only four Europeans have struck more international goals than Keane, who is now just one behind the great Gerd Müller’s haul of 68. To strengthen his chances of drawing level with the German on Monday, Keane was withdrawn here with 20 minutes to go. After Walters fluffed an easy chance to make it 4-0 and Aiden McGeady did likewise, Shane Long suggested that he, at least, can be as sharp as Keane, sending a splendid header into the net after a fine run and cross by Hendrick.
“I was concerned about this game because Gibraltar have improved and they showed that in the little spell before half-time but we ran out comfortably winners in the end,” said O’Neill. “It’s nice but there is no time to dwell on it. We’re going to Dublin in good spirits obviously but I saw a little bit of the Scotland-Georgia game, enough to know that there is a renewed spirit about them and it will not be easy for us. We’ve got to win that game and see then what develops. There are only three games left [in the group] but [the finals] still seem a million miles away.”
