Malachy Clerkin writes:
“Stephen Kenny’s side spent the evening in Athens chasing shadows against a Greece side that was better-drilled, slicker in possession and deadlier in front of goal. It was about as comfortable a 2-1 home win for Gus Poyet’s team as they could have imagined possible.”
[ Malachy Clerkin: Ireland chase shadows on dispiriting night in AthensOpens in new window ]
Gavin Cummiskey’s match report, player ratings, Ken Early analysis to come shortly.
That is all from me for tonight, thanks for joining us. Good night!
FULL-TIME: Greece 2 Ireland 1
A sour end to the night. Ireland cannot complain about the result. Outplayed by Greece for long periods of the game. Zero points from two games now. An uphill task to qualify. Very few players stood out, error-prone match throughout the side. Stephen Kenny will be very disappointed with that.
Here is the group table:
93 mins: Last 10 minutes Ireland have created very little. Troy Parrott is on and wins a free-kick for last chance saloon.
Last-ditch chance for Ireland from that free-kick, headed back into the box, Collins has the ball and falls for Doherty to swing at it from the edge of the box with his left, but it’s saved by Vlachodimos.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
Oh dear, a fracas at the end of the game. Doherty and Tsimikas with some aggro. Red card for Matt Doherty!
85 mins: Obafemi with positive play, dribbles at the defence, gets past two before it goes out for a corner. But nothing comes of it and time is running out.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
82 mins: On comes Michael Obafemi for Jayson Molumby, last roll of the dice for Kenny. McClean makes a mistake and Baldock picks his pocket, Fountas with the shot but Collins blocks it out for a corner.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
79 mins: Big chance missed for Greece, the two Greek subs interchange. Collins header gives Fountas plenty of space on the wing, Giakoumakis sets himself up with a shot in the box but pulls it high and wide.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
76 mins: Masouras breaks through easily down the wing and blasts over. Some heated discussion among the Irish players for how easy it is for Greece to get through.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
73 mins: Super strike by Nathan Collins is saved! Johnston dribbles down the wing, McClean’s cross falls to Collins outside the box who lashes it on target with power but it’s well saved by Greece’s keeper Vlachodimos.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
71 mins: Mikey Johnston with some nice touches and dribbles, lively on the ball. But the Greek defence still looks relatively comfortable.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
68 mins: Yellow card for Pelkas after a bad tackle. Ireland not really in the game that much at the moment, lacking the final ball. Ferguson disappointingly has not had a chance of note yet.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
63 mins: Good through ball by Cullen to Doherty on the wing who clips in a decent cross which is headed out for a corner. Short corner to Johnston, whose shot is blocked.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
60 mins: Greece on top, Ireland with a bit more possession since the goal but haven’t created anything of note and Greece still look more dangerous. Only 4 shots for Ireland, compared to 15 for Greece.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
The second Greece goal:
52 mins: Ireland had a chance immediately after the Greece goal, play between Ferguson and Doherty, Doherty couldn’t get it on target from inside the box. Kenny rolls the dice as he takes off Smallbone and O’Dowda for McClean and Knight.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
49 mins: GOAL FOR GREECE! Masouras curls it into the corner. Lovely pass through the legs of Johnston by Greek captain Bakasetas. Good play by Greece but too easy to get through Ireland.
Greece 2 Ireland 1
47 mins: A change in the Ireland team at the start of the half. Mikey Johnston on for Adam Idah. Smart change that, given all the space Tsimikas was being given on the wing. Baldock with a nutmeg puts in cross but dealt with.
In some news from the ground, Gavin Cummiskey reports there were some issues outside the ground before the game as Irish fans could not get in. Irish Examiner journalist Andrew Horgan tweeted:
Also that annoying laser pen.
HALF-TIME: Greece 1 Ireland 1
Not the best half of football by Ireland, Greece look an impressive outfit, spreading the play, playing at pace and finding gaps in between the lines again and again. Despite that, the score is level at half-time so all things considered Kenny will be delighted with the result given how the game has gone. But Ireland realistically need to improve in the second half, or change things up tactically, to avoid conceding again in the second half. All to play for. Here is the Ireland goal again:
45+2 mins: One last attack for Ireland with a dangerous free, Smallbone delivers well but Greece just about deal with it before Idah swipes wide and over.
Greece 1 Ireland 1
43 mins: Important block by Doherty! Greece cut Ireland to shreds with quick passing from side to side. Pelkas with the chance that was blocked. Liverpool’s Tsmikas is being given an acre of space in the left-back spot and the marauding left-back is causing a lot of issues. Bakasetas goes for another long shot, that was sweetly hit but Josh Cullen gets a block in.
Greece 1 Ireland 1
40 mins: Greece spray the ball around comfortably as their total corners approach double figures. Their deliveries have not been as good as Smallbone’s one though, this one overhit. Ireland have never been comfortable in this match but would be happy to go in level.
Greece 1 Ireland 1
Here is the Nathan Collins goal:
36 mins: A powerful long shot by Bakasetas is saved by Bazunu, we’ve seen goals go in from that range too often. Collins then loses the ball and another chance for Greece but Collins recovers his mistake. Collins then slips and nearly makes another mistake but Ireland recover, Lenihan showing composure.
Greece 1 Ireland 1
33 mins: Somewhat against the run of play that one, but the set pieces are still working well and always a reliable way for Ireland to score.
Greece still dangerous though, Mantalos with a lovely pass into Pelkas who gets to near the goal on a tough angle, but takes a strange toe poke straight wide.
Greece 1 Ireland 1
28 mins: GOAL FOR IRELAND! Great delivery by Smallbone from a corner, won by Evan Ferguson at the front post and flicked onto Collins who puts into an empty net. Originally the goal was disallowed for offside, but VAR overturns.
Earlier, Smallbone had a nice piece of play, finding Doherty on the wing who cut it back across and almost went in for an own goal.
Greece 1 Ireland 1
Here is the penalty incident again:
20 mins: Ireland’s passing has been poor so far, a bit of possession to ease into the game but ultimately leads to nothing.
Greece 1 Ireland 0
15 mins: GOAL FOR GREECE! Bakasetas scores the penalty, drilled down the middle of the goal. Well deserved goal for the Greeks. A lot of work for Ireland to do to get back in the game.
Greece 1 Ireland 0
13 mins: A through ball into the box is dangerous and Matsouras is through but clashes with Bazunu who is brave. Greece claim a penalty, it will go to VAR. Otherwise it was going for a corner. A long penalty check and the referee will check the screen. The check is actually for a cross into the box and handball on O’Dowda. Penalty given! Oh dear.
Greece 0 Ireland 0
10 mins: Greece have been impressive so far, full-backs bombing forwards. Smallbone plays a sloppy pass that Cullen can’t control and it’s yet another corner. Just relentless pressure for the Greeks, Ireland can’t keep hold of the ball.
Greece 0 Ireland 0
7 mins: Some six corners in quick succession for Greece as they pile on the pressure. Bazunu has to make another decent save from a downward shot as Ireland hang on.
Greece 0 Ireland 0
5 mins: Good bit of play by Greece, Tsimikas floats a cross into the box and it’s well headed away at the back post by O’Dowda. The corner is headed back, Mavropanos takes an acrobatic shot and Bazunu makes a great save! Let-off for Ireland.
Greece 0 Ireland 0
2 mins: Direct start by Ireland, running straight at the Greek defence wins a corner in the first 20 seconds. Smallbone’s corner is headed away.
Greece 0 Ireland 0
Success in the Nations League C last year guarantees Greece a play-off should this European Championship Group B campaign go belly up on Friday or against France on Monday in Paris. So Greece manager says that gives Greece a freedom to play without the pressure that Ireland face.
“To play forward, win the game, but there is no drama if we don’t win. There is another opportunity so we can risk a little bit more. If we get the points and qualify that way it would be amazing, an incredible achievement and if not we will be better prepared for the play-off in March.”
Kickoff in Athens is in five minutes as the players enter the pitch.
A great turnout of Ireland fans for the match:
The Greece team includes George Baldock, John Egan’s team-mate at Sheffield United, who qualifies for Greece through his grandmother. Liverpool’s Konstantinos Tsimikas is another familiar name at left-back.
Greece: Odysseas Vlachodimos; George Baldock, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Pantelis Chatzidiakos, Konstantinos Tsimikas; Anastasios Bakasetas, Dimitrios Kourbelis, Petros Mantalos; Giorgos Masouras, Vangelis Pavlidis, Dimitrios Pelkas
IRELAND TEAM ANNOUNCED:
An attacking line-up away from home by Stephen Kenny. Lenihan in for O’Shea as O’Shea has not played since the France game. Adam Idah in the line-up, a Kenny favourite, to alleviate pressure on Evan Ferguson up front. Will Smallbone in for creativity.
Ireland: Gavin Bazunu; Matt Doherty, John Egan, Nathan Collins, Darragh Lenihan, Callum O’Dowda; Jayson Molumby, Josh Cullen, Will Smallbone; Adam Idah, Evan Ferguson
Conditions appear to be clearing up in Athens. In his preview for the match, Gavin Cummiskey writes that Evan Ferguson mania has prompted the chance of an Irish ‘home’ game in Athens. Local disinterest in the high summer opens possibility of a Green Army invading Greek capital.
“The late kick-off of 9.45pm local time has dissuaded families and local AEK Athens ultras as the folly of Uefa scheduling a Friday night fixture in mid-June – when many locals have flocked to the islands’ cooler beaches – becomes apparent.
“If it’s full like it was for AEK games, we can probably [benefit],” said Greece manager Gus Poyet. “After the game, I’ll let you know.”
This should come as music to Kenny’s ears as 2,600 official Irish fans are visible among the throngs of tourists for a home game away from home.”
[ Greece v Ireland: Ferguson mania prompts chance of Irish ‘home’ game in AthensOpens in new window ]
Soccer correspondent Gavin Cummiskey is in Athens and it’s a wet one! Heavy thunderstorms in the Greek capital.
Will keep an eye on that one as the evening progresses, if it affects the pitch or start time.
Ireland’s woes in Greece must end, writes Ken Early. He says it is time for Stephen Kenny’s team to deliver: that does not necessarily mean winning in Athens, but it does entail playing well and not losing.
As he writes: “Kenny has spent nearly three years assembling a new team, hyping up their quality, their style, their connection with the people, etc. The problem is that if this team really is as exciting as he says it is, but he still can’t get results, then the FAI will think it’s time to start looking for someone who can.”
An important night ahead for the Ireland manager.
[ Ken Early: Ireland’s woes must end in GreeceOpens in new window ]
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Greece at the Opap Arena in Athens. Ireland lost their first game against France in a spirited display but Pavard’s goal sealed the victory in the Aviva for the visitors. The pressure is now on for Stephen Kenny to get a result against Greece to keep realistic hopes of qualification alive in a tough group. Kickoff is at 7.45pm.
