The Republic of Ireland were held at home to Scotland in their Euro 2016 qualifier on Saturday. A first half goal by Jonathan Walters was wiped out early in the second by Shaun Maloney, with the game ending all square -- a result that suits the Scots rather more than their hosts.
3 things we learned from Ireland’s 1-1 draw with Scotland
A scrappy game in Dublin ended all square.
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Ireland saw more of possession in the opening exchanges, though Scotland packed men behind the ball and successfully stifled them. Both sides were restricted to ambitious efforts from distance, with Steven Fletcher’s stinging effort tipped over the crossbar by Shay Given, shortly before a Glenn Whelan effort flashed over.
Eventually a goal did come with just over five minutes before halftime, though it was fittingly as scrappy as the game itself. An Ireland corner was flicked on in the area by Daryl Murphy, with Jonathan Walters pouncing to stab the ball home from point-blank range. He was in an offside position when doing so, though fortunately for Ireland, the assistant referee missed the infraction.
However, while Ireland got lucky on their goal, Scotland's equaliser a couple of minutes after the restart was too. Shaun Maloney skipped inside off the right and curled a shot against defender John O'Shea, off whom the ball bounced just inside Given's far post for 1-1.
The game momentarily sprang to life, and Ireland very almost took the lead again seconds later; Scotland keeper David Marshall was forced into action to deny Murphy after a tidy assist from Wes Hoolahan. Unfortunately the excitement didn’t last long, with the game once again descending into a pretty scrappy exchange of hopeful crosses, and ending all square.
Republic of Ireland: Given; Brady, Wilson, O’Shea, Coleman; Hoolahan, McCarthy, Whelan, Hendrick; Murphy (Long 80’), Walters (McClean 68’).
Goals: Walters (38’).
Scotland: Marshall; Forsyth, Mulgrew, Martin, Hutton; Naismith (Berra 90+2’), Morrison, Brown (McArthur 85’), Ritchie (Anya 46’); Maloney; Fletcher.
Goals: Maloney (47’).
3 Things
1. Ireland were on top, but still weren’t great
It wasn’t a particularly good performance from Ireland, who lacked the attacking invention or composure on the ball to patiently probe the stubborn Scottish defence. However, in the first half they were certainly impressive in winning the ball back and swinging crosses into the box -- usually through Séamus Coleman -- which forced their visitors back towards their own goal. It gave them a measure of control over the match that restricted Scotland to very few opportunities, though they lacked the creativity to take advantage of it at the other end.
2. Scotland were impotent
Whether by design or by accident, Gordon Strachan’s side sat deep throughout the first half, allowing Ireland to generally dictate the flow of the game. That would have been fine if they’d counter-attacked effectively, though instead they were completely impotent in attack. Their passing lacked the tempo required to capitalise on Ireland’s momentary defensive disorganisation. Their strategy wasn’t particularly coherent, and it meant Ireland’s defence was rarely tested until fleeting passages of play in the second half.
3. Strachan may well rethink his selection
Over recent months it has seemed like Scotland have been enjoying something of a steady resurgence, but this performance seemed something like a step back. It may well be that Strachan will decide to rejig things on the back of this display, with regular features like Andy Robertson and James McArthur relegated to watching on from the bench. With their replacements having failed to impress, it may well be time to go back to the drawing board. The good news is that unlike Ireland, they do have options, with Championship stars Jordan Rhodes and Ross McCormack among those not even in this squad.
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