- Stephen Pollard
- Fri, Jun 07 2013
The Republic of Ireland kept their hopes of getting to Brazil next year alive as they defeated the Faroe Islands 3-0 at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night.
Robbie Keane was the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick, making him the 5th highest international goal-scorer in European football. Other stand out performances from the boys in green came from Aiden McGeady and Wes Hoolahan.
Ireland, as expected, started the brighter with Jon Walters winning a corner down the left. McGeady went short to Simon Cox, taking the ball back off the Forest man before blundering the ball wide with the goal at his mercy.
That early pressure paid off in the 5th minute when Wes Hoolahan's pass found McGeady in space. He squared it to the man of the hour, Robbie Keane, and the LA Galaxy front man stroked the ball past Gunnar Nielson to open the scoring.
Ireland's dominance was obvious and they almost made it two on 11 minutes. Cox dispossessed Ari Jonsson and fed Keane, the skipper then sliding the ball through for Walters, but his shot was blocked in desperate fashion by Jonhard Frederiksberg.
Ireland once again went close to doubling their lead as Cox played a short free kick to Walters who chipped the ball over the top to Keane and his effort was saved well by Nielson.
McGeady was having a great first half and when his attempted cross fell to Keane, only a superb save from Neilson prevented a second.
Moments later McGeady decided he was going to take on the whole Faroes team and he almost succeeded when his clipped cross was headed over by Alti Gregersen with Walters and Keane lurking behind him.
On 42 minutes, McGeady picked the ball up in space and let fly, Nielson was once again equal to the effort though.
The second half began much like the first, with Ireland on top. McGeady was tormenting Fredericksberg and, after beating him again, he clipped an inviting ball into the area which Hoolahan headed goalwards only for it to sail over the bar.
Ten minutes into the second half a breakthrough finally came for Ireland. Hoolahan fed the ball to Seamus Coleman and he crossed for Keane to slot home his second of the night and his 58th international goal.
After 67 minutes McGeady was at it again, this time producing a stunning cross-field ball to Cox. He crossed for Walters but it was blocked just before finding the Stoke man.
With 21 minutes left on the clock Cox whipped in a dangerous free kick and McGeady hammered the ball towards goal only for Nielson to save well with the ball looping over his head.
McGeady, again in the thick of the action, ran from deep before having a thunderous shot blocked down by several Faroes defenders.
The Faroe Islands did create an opening for themselves in the 76th minute when Suni Olsen's free kick was headed inches over by Gregersen.
With 10 minutes remaining, the two substitutes James McClean and Conor Sammon linked up with the latter crossing for Keane who completed his hat trick with a tidy finish past Nielson.
Seamus Coleman broke down the wing just two minutes later and slid the ball through to Keane who attempted a cut back which went for a corner. From that corner, Cox cut inside and struck the ball inches over Nielson's bar with the keeper beaten.
Ireland almost struck a final blow late on when McClean crossed for Sammon but the Derby man could not get high enough.
Hoolahan delivered the crowd a piece of skill to finish the night off, with a drag back and backheel pass which brought a round of applause from the vocal Irish support.
Republic Of Ireland: David Forde; Seamus Coleman, John O'Shea, Sean St Ledger, Marc Wilson (Stephen Kelly 80); Simon Cox, Glenn Whelan, Wes Hoolahan, Aiden McGeady (James McClean 75); Jon Walters (Conor Sammon 72), Robbie Keane (c).
Booked: Hoolahan (72).
Faroe Islands: Gunnar Nielson; Jonhard Frederiksburg, Rogvi Baldvinson, Atli Gregersen, Ari Mohr Jonsson; Simun Samuelsen (c), Suni Olsen, Heini Vandsdal, Pol Johannus Justinusen; Christian Holst(Samuelson 84); Pall Klettskaro(Edmundsson 65).
Booked: Vandsal (43), Justinusen (69), Baldvinson (85).
Referee: Mattias Gestranius (Finland).
Attendance: 30,805
Extratime.Ie Man Of The Match: Robbie Keane (Republic of Ireland).
