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More pressure on Stephen Kenny as Ireland only manage draw with Azerbaijan

Stephen Kenny's wait for a first competitive win as manager of the Republic of Ireland goes on. ...
98FM
98FM

19.19 4 Sep 2021


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More pressure on Stephen Kenny...

More pressure on Stephen Kenny as Ireland only manage draw with Azerbaijan

98FM
98FM

19.19 4 Sep 2021


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Stephen Kenny's wait for a first competitive win as manager of the Republic of Ireland goes on. 

His side have drawn 1-1 with Azerbaijan in their FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Aviva Stadium.

Ireland started the game really impressively and had three shots in the opening ten minutes, looking particularly dangerous moving down the right of the pitch.

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The game was the first time Adam Idah, Aaron Connollu and Troy Parrolt all started todgether, Parrott though noticably found it difficult to get involved in game.

Following the frantic start the ame calmed down although Ireland looked on top for the openening half.

After half-an-hour Jayson Molumby got a sniff of goal on the edge of the box but his curled effort went just wide of the post.

Then just two minutes later Aaron Connolly sent a lovely ball into Adam Idah in the box but the Cork youngstr couldn't get a decent header on it.

Connolly then had a shot himself from the edge of the box in the 37th minute but the Azerbaijan keeper dealt with it well.

It looked as if the sides were going to go in 0-0 at the break.

Then in injury time Emin Makhmudov was given an unforgivable amount of time and space on the ball and took a shot from distance.

There was nothing Gavin Bazunu could have done as he fired it into the top left corner and Kenny's side trailed 1-0 going in at half-time.

Kenny's side created yet more chances in the second half but remained frustrated as they continued to be unable to convert anything.

Adam Idah had one just after the hour mark as substitue Daryl Horgan sent a ball in but Idah's header went wide.

Shane Duffy also had a chance in the 70th minute and it looked like he was going to be Ireland's biggest goal threat.

And indeed he was - scoring from a header in the 87th minute from a really nice Josh Cullen cross into the box.

With five minutes added time Kenny's side looked frantic as they hunted down a second goal.

Callum Robinson hauled the ball down well in the box but couldn't get a proper connection on the finish from close range.

The Azerbaijan keeper then made sure there was little more opportunity for the Boys in Green to do much with the remaining time as he went down and the clock ticked on.

Full-time and the game finished up 1-1 meaning Ireland register their first point of the campaign but sit second from bottom on the Group A table with any realistic chance of qualification to Qatar 2022 all but gone as pressure continues to mount upon Kenny.


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