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Ireland 2 Belgium 2
A draw that can be dressed up and explained away. The unflappable Chiedozie Ogbene scored one equaliser before creating another for Alan Browne late on to maintain the upward trajectory of this Republic of Ireland team.
Goals by Michy Batshuayi, in for the rested Romelu Lukaku, and Hans Vanaken, covering the injured Eden Hazard, had initially exposed the difference between a country that has nurtured its underage talent with a distinct plan for 20 years and, well, Ireland.
But that’s not how this story goes. Ireland manager Stephen Kenny must be applauded for picking the right subs at the right time with Will Keane pipped to hero status by Browne’s power header on 85 minutes.
It felt like a winner on a night where Ireland should hold some regrets. But the streaks of creativity are coming from now reliable figures as the outstanding Matt Doherty fed Ogbene for a perfectly weighted delivery that keeps Kenny’s charges unbeaten in seven matches dating back to Cristiano Ronaldo’s winner in Portugal last September.
What a foundation stone that miserable night on the Algarve has proved.
“The volatility and unpredictability of life itself has never been more evident in recent times,” began Kenny’s programme notes. He was not referring to his 21 games in charge, rather the pandemic and “war in Europe,” but the sentiment held.
Next up it’s Lithuania on Tuesday with tonight’s 48,808 attendance in with a chance of being replicated after this feel good result.
Who doesn’t love a team on the up? Especially a team that constantly seeks to play football.
Poor defending
Belgium’s first goal came with the run of play as Batshuayi exposed Seamús Coleman’s out of position selection as the right of three centre-halves.
Jamie Carragher recently declared Coleman to be passed his sell-by-date as a Premier League fullback. “People are just running in behind him,” said the Champions League winning defender.
After 11 minutes the lone striker ran straight across the 33 year-old Ireland skipper before curling a shot into the far corner of Caoimhín Kelleher’s net. It looked like very poor defending.
Arguably, Doherty could have helped his defensive partner as Batshuayi picked up Vanaken’s ball, taking three touches before silencing the sun-kissed crowd with his 23rd international goal from 40 caps. Chelsea can call him home from Turkish champions Besiktas any time their scoring stocks need replenishing.

Belgium’s Michy Batshuayi after scoring against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images


Belgium never contemplated a natural Irish inclination over the past 101 years to go into their shell and defend a one-nil lead. If employed correctly, the 3-4-2-1 system doesn’t allow this to happen as the front three should become defensive scramblers as soon as possession is lost.
Anthony Barry was credited, perhaps too much so, with drilling the same formation into Irish football, seemingly at all levels, which made the sight of him on the big screen in Belgium garb a little depressing if not for the crowd’s reaction.
The booing was probably directed more at Barry’s new coaching partner Thierry Henry as the memory of his Parisian handball sparked mock-fury from the masses.
Lansdowne Roar
Either way, the TV director earned their corn by showing the Belgium backroom and, coincidence or not, the increased noise decibels energised the Irish attack - not that Jason Knight nor Callum Robinson needed prompting - with James McClean shooting on 33 minutes creating the first Lansdowne Roar of the evening.
The place was only warming up as Josh Cullen’s poor corner seemingly came to nothing. But the intent was visible in Doherty keeping play alive as Ogbene was mere seconds away from becoming an overnight success at age 24.
The first equalizer really came from Ireland protecting possession higher up the pitch, with the ball eventually falling for Robinson, who aimed a chip at Shane Duffy’s head. Youri Tielemans crowded out the big Derry man but Ogbene gathered the break and, with his back to goal, took an almost casual touch before scissor-kicking his third international goal (and first in Dublin after important finishes in Baku and Luxembourg last year).
Both wing backs, Doherty and McClean, deserve credit for subtle contributions that allowed Robinson and Ogbene to cause chaos in the world number one team’s ranks.
Everything changed in an instant. Literally, visibly, Kenny’s Ireland came of age as Ogbene started powering through the centre, with Robinson dropping into his favourite inside left slot, as a clever pass forced Arthur Theate to hack down the Rotherham United wing-back cum centre forward.
Ogbene will become a star as soon as he escapes League One football.
Belgium manager Roberto Martínez replaced AC Milan’s Alexis Saelemaekers at the break with the Reims fullback Thomas Foket, presumably to stem the flowing tide of James McClean down left flank.
Coleman was never going to go quietly and one from Robinson, Knight and McClean should have rewarded his pick-pocketing of Vanaken seconds into in the second half. Knight showed vision and unselfishness to square a pass for Robinson who twice fluffed his lines in between McClean’s wild miscue.
Way back when
Ireland were tearing Belgium apart. Jeff Hendrick picked out one of those low diagonal balls that made him a Premier League conductor way back when, only for Knight to rattle the side netting from a tough angle.
The good times proved temporary, however, as the threat of Batshuayi never went away with McClean almost conned into a penalty before Duffy’s long leg pushed the shot wide for the corner that led to Belgium’s second. A laser from Thorgan Hazard gave Vanaken a free header that clipped off Coleman and into the net. McClean appeared to be beaten in the air.
This was the worst possible goal to concede against an Anthony Barry organised operation, or the “set-piece master” according to Tielemans.
Robinson’s Cruyff-turn embarrassed Jason Denayer and Leander Dendoncker but a rasping shot was palmed sky ward by former Liverpool goalie Simon Mignolet.
Belgium had recovered and began to punish tiring Irish legs. Not that Cullen or Knight dropped their freakish work rate. The chances were hard to come by though and Hendrick really should have done better, slicing a shot well wide after linking well with Robinson.
As the contest began to run out of fuel, something we can all relate to these days, Kenny turned to Browne and Keane for a lift and sure enough the Preston North End midfielder scored another important goal for his country.
But it was Ogbene’s game; a fully deserving recipient of player of the match.
Republic of Ireland: Kelleher (Liverpool); Coleman (Everton), Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion), Egan (Sheffield United); Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Cullen (Anderlecht), Hendrick (Queens Park Rangers), McClean (Wigan Athletic); Knight (Derby County), Ogbene (Rotherham United); Robinson (West Bromwich Albion).
Subs: Browne (Preston North End) for Hendrick, Keane (Wigan Athletic) for Knight (both 76), Manning (Swansea City) for McClean (80), Parrott (MK Dons) for Robinson (90).
Belgium: Mignolet (Club Brugge); Denayer (Lyon), Boyata (Hertha Berlin), Theate (Bolona); Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Tielemans (Leicester City), Dendoncker (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund); De Ketelaere (Club Brugge), Vanaken (Club Brugge); Batshuayi (Besiktas).
Subs: Foket (Reims) for Saelemaekers (half-time), Mangala (VfB Stuttgart) for Theate, Januzaj (Real Sociedad) for De Ketelaere (both 76), Benteke (Crystal Palace)for Batshuayi (83).
Referee: Nicolas Walsh (Scotland).