Pain and heartbreak all over again.
Familiar emotions were shared between the Republic of Ireland players and 2,700 travelling fans inside Estádio José Alvalade on Saturday night. Rúben Neves had settled the issue with a winning goal in the 91st minute to keep Portugal in pole position for World Cup qualification.
Ireland now hope Roberto Martinez’s side can wrap up Group F by beating Hungary in Lisbon on Tuesday before Portugal come to Dublin on November 13th.
All week, the noise from Heimir Hallgrímsson’s camp was about producing an “Irish performance” to atone for the damaging defeat to Armenia in Yerevan last month.
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Ireland weathered 76 Portugal attacks before Neves’s late header beat the outstanding Caoimhín Kelleher.
Equally inspirational resistance from captain Nathan Collins and Séamus Coleman – recalled on his 37th birthday – made Ireland look comfortable operating with their backs firmly pinned against the wall.
“Ah, I’ve dealt with defeats for a long time,” said Coleman. “You feel sorry for yourself for 10 or 15 minutes, sometimes longer, but ultimately we have a game on Tuesday against Armenia and we have to put right what went wrong [in Yerevan].
“As a group, we need to put that right in front of our fans, because the way they travelled tonight was incredible. We are very lucky to have them and it would have been nice to send them home with a point.”
Portugal’s two yellow cards went to Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, both of which were for hacking down the relentless Jayson Molumby. Ireland, by comparison, picked up six bookings, which emphasised the lopsided view adopted by Slovak referee Ivan Kružliak.
“I found it difficult to speak to him all night, yet he was speaking with Bruno,” Coleman revealed. “I challenged him on that – ‘you speak to Bruno but not me’. It was frustrating to try and understand his decisions.”
The Everton player rolled back the years, producing a composed display at right-back, but he could not hide his disappointment with Hallgrímsson leaving him out of last month’s squad for the 2-2 draw with Hungary and 2-1 loss in Armenia. He also dismissed the manager’s theory that the green shirt is “too heavy” for the younger Irish players.
“Is the jersey not supposed to be heavy?” Coleman bristled. “You are playing for Ireland. It’s pressure, but it’s amazing pressure. There are only 11 players who can be picked to play for your country at any given time and you are expected to give a performance.
“And listen, I have been on the end of games like Luxembourg at home (in 2021) and have taken the rap from you guys as well – it’s part and parcel of it and you just have to find a way to keep going. So the jersey might be heavy, but it’s supposed to be heavy.”
[ Talking Point: Ireland’s strengths and limitations were all on show in LisbonOpens in new window ]
Ireland remain bottom of the group with one point from three games. When this World Cup campaign is fully examined, the decision to overlook Coleman, Molumby and Festy Ebosele for the September squad may be considered costly.
Ebosele gave Nuno Mendes, the Paris Saint-Germain full back, a hard time down the right to keep the Portugal defence honest in the first-half. Molumby showed his quality while toiling in midfield alongside Josh Cullen.
Jake O’Brien was named man of the match by RTÉ, which was a surprise choice ahead of Kelleher. The Ireland goalkeeper denied Cristiano Ronaldo with an outstanding penalty save in the 75th minute. The spot kick had been controversially awarded by Kružliak after the ball brushed Dara O’Shea’s arm before hitting his chest.
As Kelleher celebrated his save, Kružliak caused further irritation among Ireland players by insisting on a VAR check to see if the goalkeeper had stepped off the goal line.
[ Ken Early: Portugal flexed their star power and the referee duly obligedOpens in new window ]
Amid the chaos and confusion, Molumby received a yellow card while an earlier booking for Cullen rules the Burnley skipper out of Tuesday’s win-or-bust tie at the Aviva Stadium.
“Gutted, flat, devastated – I think we deserved at least a point,” said Molumby, head bowed but eyes ablaze after his stirring shift. “We don’t manage the game for probably one moment where we get a throw-in in their half and we take it quick. We’re not quite set up and then they go on the counter . . . it’s gutting.”
“We got back to an Irish performance,” the Waterford man continued. “The bare minimum playing for Ireland: run, fight, work hard, give everything. We lacked that probably, maybe, in the last few games.”
Molumby dismissed the suggestion that a different tactical approach is required against Armenia as goal difference could be a factor in reaching the World Cup play-offs next March.
“We need to be the exact same with and without the ball,” he said. “Maybe a bit better on the ball. Out of possession, you can’t go away from the basics of football and that is running, fighting hard. We cannot slack off whatsoever. We need to raise it again on Tuesday against Armenia.”
Cullen’s suspension means Will Smallbone is set to partner Molumby in midfield.
Cullen’s suspension means Will Smallbone is set to partner Molumby in midfield, with Charlton’s Conor Coventry called up as cover. Celtic defender Liam Scales will not join up with the squad following a family bereavement.
