Ireland left to rue errors in loss to Greece

UEFA Nations League Group B

Greece 2-0 Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland were were brought back down to earth as they were soundly beaten 2-0 by Greece at the at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.

Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side were unable to match their Helsinki heroics and were truthfully second best against the group leaders who scored at either end of the second half to complete the Irish double in this Nations League campaign.

Somehow scoreless at the break, Greece took just three minutes of the second half to take the lead as Anastasios Bakasetas crashed home the opener from the edge of the box.

Ireland pushed for an equaliser late in the game but Greece wrapped up the points in injury time as Caoimhin Kelleher gifted Petros Mantalos a goal to secure the victory on an emotional night for the home side.

There was a moving tribute ahead of kick-off as the team stood for a moment’s appreciation for George Baldock who tragically died last week.

The Ireland head coach feared a fast start from the host side, however, it was his own charges who were first to threaten.

With just five minutes on the clock, Greece were caught casually playing the ball out of defence, allowing Evan Ferguson to race into the box, however, he could not make clean contact and pushed it wide.

A minute later, Ireland were again attacking – this time from a corner – and while Cullen’s delivery was cleared, Brady volleyed goalwards with the ball ricocheting off the arm of Tasos Bakasetas; there was no intent, however.

And then in the eighth minute, Greece came to life.

Their first chance saw captain Bakasetas work a shot on goal after some quick passing across the edge of the box, but his effort was deflected wide.

Another effort followed a minute later as Christos Tzolis got in ahead of Dara O’Shea but blasted over.

The home side kept bursting forward in their numbers, and in the 11th minute the ball was helped out to the feet of Vangelis Pavlidis on the right of the goal.

The striker’s quick cross was blocked but sat up perfectly for Giorgos Masouras who blasted his volley at goal; Kelleher was up for the task and made a brilliant save to turn it around the post.

With only 13 minutes on the clock, Greece were really starting to turn the screw and had three attempts on goal inside a matter of seconds, with great blocks from Liam Scales, Dara O’Shea and Sammie Szmodics keeping it out.

Four minutes later, Pantelis Hatzidiakos raced up the right and beat Robbie Brady in the air at back post, but there was no power in the effort and it hopped harmlessly wide.

In the 18th minute, Ireland enjoyed a rare moment up the other end as Brady whipped a nice ball into the feet of Troy Parrott, however, with no support, he turned back into traffic and was crowded out.

Another Greece attack, another Kelleher save; this time the keeper getting his foot to a low Bakasetas effort before he gathered as Pavlidis fluffed the rebound.

Nathan Collins was then called into action to block a 24th-minute Christos Tzolis shot after Greece played a clever ball in behind the under-pressure defensive line.

The ever-advanced, and always available, Dimitris Giannoulis was next to test the Ireland goal.

Another save from Kelleher followed as Greece played it in from the right, eventually working the ball across the edge of the box before Giannoulis was once again left unmarked with a clear shot on target.

The defender slammed it low and hard at the near post, but the keeper again kept Ireland in the contest.

Over 35 minutes had passed before Ireland showed any sort of composure in possession, and a moment of direct play a minute later almost came off with Parrott flicking a header inside, but Szmodics was just beaten to the ball on the edge of the box.

Cullen then released Chiedozie Ogbene as Ireland finally exploited the space left behind the Greek left sided defence, however, a corner was the best Ireland could garner from the situation.

Scoreless at the break, however, Greece came racing out of the blocks and recored their first shot on target within two minutes as Bakasetas’ tame effort was easily saved.

It was a warning shot to the Ireland rearguard, and one that they did not heed as less than 60 seconds later, the same man was on hand at the edge of the box to hammer home the opening goal.

The home side maintained the pressure on the left flank and while the initial advance was repelled, the ball came flying back to Tzolis, who set it up for the captain and Bakasetas slammed the ball home; a deflection off the heel of Scales taking it past Kelleher.

Bakasetas whipped off his black armband amidst the celebration to dedicate his strike to former team-mate Baldock.

The home side were buoyed by the opener and kept the foot on the pedal with Bakasetas controlling the play in and around the Ireland penalty area.

In the 53rd minunte, the captain cleverly turned inside and set up Dimitris Kourbelis racing onto the ball, but the shot was scuffed wide.

The best Ireland could offer in response came from a set-piece as Parrott was fouled up the right flank, but the deep free was cleared with minimum fuss.

A double substitution offered an injection of ingenuity as Jack Taylor and Festy Ebosele came on, leading to a nice move around the edge of the penalty area. Brady then helped the ball across the face but there was no one attacking the hopeful delivery.

Greece appeared to be sitting back, happy to maintain their lead, however, they showed their potency in the 61st minute as Bakasetas released Tzolis up the left, but this time the counter fizzled out early.

A short lull in the contest, but it burst back into life as Ireland continued to grow into the game with Ebosele looking very composed out on the right.

Ireland best chance came as a result of the smart spell of possession as Cullen’s cross into the box was helped goalwards by Taylor. Odysseas Vlachodimos had not been tested all night but he made sure to help the header over with a decent save.

More substitutions with 15 minutes remaining as Mikey Johnston and Jayson Molumby came on, as Ireland continued to enjoy time in the opposition half, however, they were unable, or still unwilling, to commit the numbers forward compared to the hosts’ earlier assaults.

As the final ten minutes approached, the green shirts did start to move further up the pitch as O’Shea worked a neat ball into Taylor, but his pull-back on the right of the goal was unable to find Parrott on the edge of the six yard area.

Kasey McAteer was the last throw of the dice from the Ireland sidelines as O’Shea was withdrawn to add an extra player in attack with eight minutes remaining.

Another set-piece caused a moment’s panic inside the Greek area as Taylor hammered it goalwards, however, it was blocked en route before the Ipswich man latched onto the loose ball but hooked it over.

Substitute Dimitris Pelkas had a chance to seal the victory as the 90-minute mark passed but he blasted over.

However, the points were sealed a moment later as Kelleher gifted fellow sub Mantalos the simplest of tasks to add a second for the home side.

The Ireland keeper took the ball outside his box looking to begin a move up the field, however, his tame pass out towards the right flank was easily intercepted and the Greek substitute raced past the stranded Kelleher before slotting the ball home as the home side made it four from four to remain in control of the group with maximum points.

Greece: Odysseas Vlachodimos; Lazaros Rota, Dimitris Giannoulis, Ntinos Mavropanos, Pantelis Hatzidiakos; Dimitris Kourbelis (Kostas Tsimikas 82), Manolis Siopis, Giorgos Masouras (Dimitris Pelkas 65), Christos Tzolis (Petros Mantalos 82), Tasos Bakasetas (capt) (Christos Zafeiris 72); Vangelis Pavlidis (Tasos Douvikas 72)

Republic of Ireland: Caoimhin Kelleher; Nathan Collins, Dara O’Shea (Kasey McAteer 82), Liam Scales; Chiedozie Ogbene (Festy Ebosele 57), Robbie Brady, Josh Cullen, Jason Knight (Jayson Molumby 73); Evan Ferguson (Jack Taylor 57), Sammie Szmodics (Mikey Johnston 73), Troy Parrott

Referee: Joey Kooji (NED)

Tonight’s other Group B result:

• Finland 1-3 England