Ireland came from behind to rescue a point against Serbia, on a dramatic night in the Aviva Stadium.
It looked like the same old story for so long in that game. With just five minutes left to play, the match reports were probably already written. Another 'moral victory' that ended with no points.
But Ireland found an answer. They kept playing their game, didn't panic, and deservedly rescued a point on the night.
Here are the player ratings for Ireland 1-1 Serbia:
7 September 2021; Gavin Bazunu of Republic of Ireland during the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying group A match between Republic of Ireland and Serbia at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Harry Murphy/SportsfileGavin Bazunu - 8.5
Each time he plays, he makes it more difficult to believe he's 19-years-old. Unlucky not to pull off an outrageous save for the Serbia opener - he was crucial to this result, pulling off five saves in both halves. He was one of Irelands standout performers.
Andrew Omobamidele - 7.5
After an impressive performance against Portugal, Omobamidele showed a calm head on young shoulders again. The confidence this kid has shown on and off the ball so far is something to be excited by. We will be calling him Omobamideadly very soon.
Shane Duffy - 6.5
Shane Duffy had the difficult task of marshalling Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic. Despite their quality, Duffy managed to keep them relatively quiet. Interestingly, he was central to Ireland kickstarting their attack from the back and he was comfortable in that role. He had the most successful passes of all the Irish defenders tonight.
John Egan - 6.5
Like Duffy, Egan managed his task well at the back. Apart from a few moments when caught on the break, Serbia really didn't create many real quality chances. While they did have 17 shots, their xG stood at 1.29.
Matt Doherty - 8
Playing as the right-wing back, Matt Doherty was clearly Ireland's best outfield player on the night. He caused the visitors real issues down the right side and was key to Ireland's attack. He managed to do so without sacrificing his defensive duties.
James McClean - 7.5
Favoured as the left-wing-back, McClean was an endless outlet for Ireland attacks. Hugging the touchline, McClean stretched the Serbia defence on several occasions and put in a number of dangerous crosses (8 in total, 4 accurate). Did well to prevent a second Serbia goal with 15 minutes to play, which proved crucial in the end.
Jeff Hendrick - 6.5
A better performance from Hendrick this evening. He was brave in possession and used the ball wisely. He did however lose his man for the Serbia corner, resulting in the goal. In the second half, he faded slightly, but you can put that down to energy levels more than anything. The best we've seen from him in a long time for Ireland.
Josh Cullen - 6
A tough night for Cullen. Coming up against real quality in the Serbia midfield, Cullen found it difficult to assert himself into the game. He got caught in possession a few times too, which led to some sketchy moments.
Alan Browne - 6
It would be unfair to say Browne had a poor game. It would equally be untrue to say he had a good game. In reality, he had a difficult role this evening as the back-up to Adam Idah. When Serbia are the side dominating possession, that role is even more thankless. He was replaced by Robinson early in the second half.
Jamie McGrath - 6
While Stephen Kenny will likely say he was saving McGrath for this game, his qualities may have been far more suited to playing a deep-lying side like Azerbaijan rather than a midfield-dominant side like the Serbs. Milinkovic-Savic swallowed up possession and prevented McGrath from having any impact on proceedings.
7 September 2021; Jeff Hendrick of Republic of Ireland in action against Duan Vlahovic of Serbia during the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying group A match between Republic of Ireland and Serbia at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Ben McShane/SportsfileAdam Idah - 6.5
A really difficult night for the young Norwich striker. Playing up front by himself against an experienced defence, he worked tirelessly to make himself available. However, his experience did show on occasion and the ball just wouldn't stick for him tonight. A good performance from a player who will only continue to improve.
SUBS:
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