Eoin Harrington reporting from Ireland v Finland at the Aviva Stadium
Ireland were victorious on Thursday night, a rare feeling for the home crowd in Dublin.
Only once in the last 26 months has an Aviva Stadium crowd welcomed a competitive win for Ireland, and Heimir Hallgrímsson will be happy to have ground out his first win on home soil as head coach.
The result was thanks in no small part to the heroics of Caoimhín Kelleher, whose outstanding double save from Jan Pohjanpalo’s late penalty got Ireland over the line.
The save, the double save, the bravery…Caoimhín Kelleher, take a bow
What a momentpic.twitter.com/dwj4CjCR1k
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) November 14, 2024
Though just about deserving of the win, Ireland rode their luck on several occasions on Thursday night – and still came out the other side.
That has been all too rare an occurrence of late, something Mikey Johnston was grateful to have changed against Finland.
READ HERE: Things Got Unusually Tense Between Roy Keane And Ian Wright In Garnacho Row
READ HERE: Crazy England Squad Update Could Be Boost For Ireland’s Hopes
Mikey Johnston comments sum up major difference behind win v Finland
Johnston returned to the Ireland starting XI on Thursday, his first start under Heimir Hallgrímsson.
The West Brom winger provided an exquisite assist for Evan Ferguson’s first-half header – a goal which proved to be the match-winner.
However, the moment most will remember from Thursday’s game will be Caoimhín Kelleher’s penalty save – a moment Johnston told us was a welcome change from what this Ireland team have regrettably become accustomed to of late.
We’re really happy. We knew we needed to come and win tonight…of course they had their chances but we had our chances as well.
I think, in the past, we’ve maybe been on the opposite side of luck. We’ve dominated games and we’ve been beaten by a smash and grab. Tonight, it’s nice to be on the other side.
Maybe we need to be under the cosh in some bits of games but we’re still going to win. That’s what we need.
It’s hard to quantify how much one can put down to “luck” when it comes to professional sports, and many will reasonably give the argument that the greatest teams almost always make their own luck.
It would also not be fair to put all of Ireland’s struggles of the past few years down to luck – there have been some genuinely abject performances during that time, leaving supporters pondering the path forward.
But it’s always hard not to let the mind wander on all those “what if” moments when a cruel twist of fate turned Ireland’s fortunes upside down. The last-minute interventions from Mike Maignan and Cristiano Ronaldo at opposite ends of the pitch of qualifiers against France and Portugal spring to mind as the biggest examples but there are others.
Johnston is correct. As much as the players have had to shoulder blame for the struggles of the last few years, there have been some moments of cruel bad luck to worsen the overall picture. It was a refrain echoed by his manager Heimir Hallgrímsson on Thursday night – this team deserved a bit of luck.
It was not just the penalty save, but the two first-half shots from Finland that clipped the post, and Joel Pohjanpalo’s late stumble when a clear shot was on.
One could almost feel the widespread sense of belief from the home supporters on Thursday night when those moments went Ireland’s way. Too many have gone in the opposite direction in recent memory.
That is not to say that everything is fixed and Ireland are on the way back. One can’t depend solely on luck for such steps forward. But, on top of the promising form of many of Ireland’s team, and the improved structure and energy under Hallgrímsson, the fact that Ireland are starting to get those few moments go their way here and there can only be seen as a positive.
Ireland may not be safe in UEFA Nations League B just yet but victory over Finland on Thursday did at least guarantee that the Finns will finish bottom of the group and that Ireland therefore cannot be automatically relegated.
They are guaranteed to finish third in the group with just one game left. A result of any kind in that fixture on Sunday at Wembley would be an ending to the year few would have thought possible this time 12 months ago.
Unlikely as it is, Ireland have been lucky aginst England in the past. Johnston was bullish when asked about Ireland’s chances of a result in London, saying that the team were going to Wembley with every intention of claiming a massive scalp.
We’re going to try and nick something. We’re not going into the game to try and lose, that’s for sure.
We’re not going to lie down. We’re all buzzing to go to Wembley to try and get something.
We shall see.
SEE ALSO: Player Ratings As Ireland Dig Deep To Claim Massive Win v Finland In Dublin
