Republic of Ireland 1 Norway 2
Perhaps, come the end of this decade, a November friendly in the shadow of an infamous World Cup will be remembered for the debut of Evan Ferguson. In the meantime, Ohi Omoijuanfo joins an illustrious club of those who have scored the goal that beats Ireland in Dublin.
Alan Browne’s equaliser on 69 minutes merely sparked a superior Norwegian outfit into gear.
By the end, Martin Ødegaard had the football at his feet with zero interest in being dispossessed by the array of midfielders who ply their trade in the English Championship.
In a game that never lost the run of itself, the Republic of Ireland’s listless display managed to make the Aviva Stadium sound like a rugby international as a subdued 41,120 attendance, audibly chit-chatting about anything other than the game, began flowing out for pints 10 minutes before the interval.
[ Ireland 1 Norway 2: How the Irish players ratedOpens in new window ]
They missed a goal made in Arsenal and finished in Napoli, as Leo Østigård shook off the attentions of Ireland captain John Egan to head Ødegaard’s out-corner past Gavin Bazunu.
Deflation ensued. The cold hardly helped. Some seats remained empty for the second half as sons and daughters presumably convinced fathers and mothers that an early exit was worthwhile.
If only this largely irrelevant night, at the fag-end of a middling year for Kenny’s group, had a hook – anything to whet the appetite. Erling Haaland’s withdrawal last Sunday denied one of those rare occasions to see the Manchester City striker, on the upward curve of a career without limits, in the flesh.
Ødegaard would have to suffice. A north London scandal was averted on 32 minutes when Tottenham’s Matt Doherty recovered from a sneaky block to keep the roaming midfielder at bay.
There were plenty of other scares in the opening 45 minutes, as the gulf in class based on the clubs of players was all too apparent. But some uncharacteristic defending brings into question Kenny’s preferred back three of Egan, Nathan Collins and Dara O’Shea.
Hope lingers for Shane Duffy and Séamus Coleman.
[ Ireland 1 Norway 2: As it happenedOpens in new window ]
Egan was particularly busy at the centre of the defence, snuffing out Southampton winger Mohamed Elyounoussi before he could shoot early on.
Bazunu has impressed and struggled alongside Elyounoussi in his Premier League campaign and the young goalkeeper might hope new Saints manager Nathan Jones missed a calamitous two-minute period when his poor distribution ended with Jorgen Larsen of Celta Vigo blazing over.
Bazunu’s reflexes remain cat-like, as shown when Ola Solbakken was denied from close range. Twice.
Jayson Molumby also put himself about. The West Brom midfielder’s engine makes for a compelling option as Kenny played him alongside Browne and Josh Cullen. After Larsen felt his studs, Molumby snuffed out a prolonged bout of Norwegian possession that became very dangerous when Solbakken weaved around O’Shea in the Irish box.
Browne and Collins led Ireland’s pursuit of an equaliser but the quality of final balls made Robbie Brady’s benching seem increasingly questionable. Unlike Ireland, Norway never looked like a team that offers up chances from set pieces. Too big, too strong. Especially Østigård.
The Irish goal would need to come from another angle. Callum O’Dowda, named ahead of Brady, was doing well down the left and it was his cross, and Østigård’s umpteenth clearance, that saw Browne score.
The Preston skipper’s technique was textbook; one touch to pad, another to drill low beyond Orjan Nyland.
Moments later Brady relieved O’Dowda. The fact he entered the game alongside Chiedozie Ogbene appeared to guarantee a lively conclusion. But the crowd never got going. And Norway were having none of it.
The Omoijuanfo winner, off a speculative Ødegaard free into the box, was part luck, part sloppy defending as Collins’s attempted clearance ricocheted off the Brøndby striker before sitting up kindly. Bazunu had next to no chance.
Nor did Ferguson have much time – two minutes and change – to break Robbie Keane’s record as the youngest teenager to score for Ireland. Maybe the manager will give the 18-year-old a longer stint in Malta on Sunday.
Another forgettable night that needs context, many years from now, to provide some solace.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Bazunu (Southampton); Collins (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Egan (Sheffield United), O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion); Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Cullen (Burnley), Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Browne (Preston North End), O’Dowda (Cardiff City); Obafemi (Swansea City), Robinson (Cardiff City).
Subs: Brady (Preston North End) for O’Dowda, Ogbene (Rotherham) for Obafemi (both 75 mins), Hendrick (Reading) for Molumby (82 mins), Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion) for Browne (88 mins).
NORWAY: Nyland (RB Leipzig); Pedersen (Feyenoord), Strandberg (Válerenga), Ostigard (Napoli), Bjorkan (Feyenoord); Solbakken (Bodo Glimt), Berg (Bodo Glimt), Ødegaard (Arsenal), Thorsby (Union Berlin), Elyounoussi (Southampton); Larsen (Celta Vigo).
Subs: Zachariassen (Ferencváros) for Solbakken (63 mins), Ryerson (Union Berlin) for Pedersen, Meling (Rennes) for Bjorkan (both 65 mins), Brynhildsen (Molde) for Thorsby, Omoijuanfo (Brondby) for Larsen (both 74 mins), Gregersen (Bordeaux) for Berg (90 mins).
Referee: Allard Lindhout (the Netherlands).
