Well done lads, you’ve got the bad performance out of the way, and managed to hoodwink the Belgian, Swedish and Italian scouts in attendance.
The Republic of Ireland lost 1-2 to Belarus in their final warm-up game before Euro 2016 at Turner’s Cross. A painfully dull first-half saw Martin O’Neill’s side create few chances, carelessly cede possession and fall behind to Mikhail Gordeychuk’s impressive strike.
Belarus doubled their lead with one of their few attacks of the second period, Maksim Volodko’s shot deflecting past Shay Given. Things got slightly better after that, mostly because they couldn’t get any worse, but Ireland looked more threatening with the introduction of Shane Long, Wes Hoolahan and youngster Callum O’Dowda.
Long helped set up Stephen Ward to pull a goal back, with the full-back smashing home an impressive strike inside the penalty area, but Ireland couldn’t find an equaliser.
Players on the fringes of the squad and the team, such as Darron Gibson, Daryl Murphy and Aiden McGeady, did little to state their case for inclusion in France, and the real winners were the players who weren’t involved.
Here’s how the match played out:
They were all set in the posh seats in Cork.
We're all set at Turner's Cross pic.twitter.com/Nc3Ft7uYoi
— Dion Fanning (@dionfanning) May 31, 2016
Even if there was a mini-crater in the centre circle.
Lads saying lovely things about pitch at Turners Cross, but if it's a carpet it's a slightly lumpy carpet #IRLBEL pic.twitter.com/oP6nbrnhAi
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
We’re under way, and Daryl Murphy will likely never have a better opportunity to score his first goal for Ireland.
We're underway at Turner's Cross. 50 seconds into Daryl Murphy's 21st international and still no goal #IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
But Ireland hadn’t ironed out their passing game yet and the game quickly began to drag.
Does Jeff Hendrick somehow see Ciaran Clark as a rival for a spot on the plane? It would explain that absolute hospital pass
🚑🚑🚑— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
These lads had the right idea by not paying to watch this dross.
Only In #Cork could you sit on your wall And watch #ireland #IRLBEL #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/FnEoNcWWjZ
— Cork Folk Festival (@CorkFolkFest) May 31, 2016
The usually reserved James McClean made his presence felt.
Our thoughts go out to the family of Belarus number 7, who just knocked McClean on to the deck.
Jimmy's gonna get ya#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
But Ireland were punished for their ineffectiveness.
Hell of a strike, to be fair. Even if the defence was a little bit hesitant#IRLBELhttps://t.co/ov2u7u1KiB
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
Belarus have taken the lead.
Absolute freaking belter.
Westwood would have stopped it. There, we said it.#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
But maybe it wasn’t Shay’s fault?
Roy brought cones, Roy brought bibs, Roy brought isotonic drinks.
But he forgot to bring a baseball cap for Shay Given. #prepareto#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
Ireland failed to mount a comeback, or anything really…
Terrible opening 30mins from Ireland.. Rushing everything.. Final third is anonymous, decision making poor.. #IRLBEL
— Aaron Doherty (@finsceal) May 31, 2016
Same thought occurs during nearly every Ireland game of how technically better the opposition seem to be
— Aidan O'Hara (@oharaa) May 31, 2016
The soaring ambition of Darron Gibson's passing is matched only by its awfulness.
— Eoin McDevitt (@EoinMcDevitt) May 31, 2016
Shay Given's fingertip save may make him the only Irish player to have made a positive impact on his chances in first half#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
Half-time and Ireland are trailing one of the few teams not to qualify for the Euros.
The FAI spared no expense on half-time refreshments.
Turners Cross media care package. pic.twitter.com/HuQgwtTqfT
— Tommy Martin (@TommyMartinVM) May 31, 2016
The second half kicks off and Daryl Murphy shows exactly why he has failed to score in 21 international appearances.
WATCH:
Daryl Murphy almost gets his first Ireland goal. Really should have scored. #IRLBEL #OnOurWay #COYBIG https://t.co/aXx6nrj3pd— eir Sport (@eirSport) May 31, 2016
We would complain that this shows why modern life is rubbish, but we can’t blame this kid for seeking other means of keeping himself occupied.
https://twitter.com/Ciaran_O/status/737733156619620352
He wasn’t the only one who looked like he wished he was somewhere else…
Aiden McGeady is not one of life's tacklers.#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
Ireland started to put the mighty Belarusian defence under pressure, but Murphy continued to have an off night…
"I think it's Daryl Murphy who just gets in his way."
After Clark goes close for 3rd time, striker has to take drastic action.#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
WATCH:
Great double save denies first Ciaran Clark and then Jeff Hendrick! ROI still trail 1-0. #IRLBEL #OnOurWay https://t.co/U53GYAfx35— eir Sport (@eirSport) May 31, 2016
And Belarus landed a sucker punch…
F**k this for a game of soldiers.
2-0.
Seriously, Malta were available. Surely#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
Bum note for unfortunate deflectee Keogh.
Christie sold very easily.#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
Here's the second Belarus goal. Could it cost Cyrus Christie a place on the plane?https://t.co/NEt29Y1PQJ#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
Drastic action was taken…
67: Shane Long & Wes Hoolahan come on in place of Darron Gibson and Daryl Murphy. (0-2) #COYBIG #IRLBEL
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) May 31, 2016
And Keiren Westwood was the first to find out for sure he wasn’t going to France, as David Forde replaced Given in goal.
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
However, Ireland were given a glimmer of hope from Stephen Ward, with the full-back smashing home his third international goal.
Stephen Ward, he scores when he wants (in LOI grounds)
His third international goal.https://t.co/5MEBWpYDqj#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
Shane Long got the assist and put to bed any suggestions his place was under threat from Murphy…
Shane Long is better than Daryl Murphy
— Conán Doherty (@ConanDoherty) May 31, 2016
Callum O’Dowda replaced Aiden McGeady.
Callum O'Dowda coming in now to score a 17-minute hat-trick.
Fair play to the chap#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
And few were convinced by McGeady’s display…
https://twitter.com/THFC29/status/737739945838776320
McGeady on the ✈️ 👎🏻
— Alan Cawley (@alancaw) May 31, 2016
Exquisite from Long for the goal. Only other positives are that McGeady, Murphy & Gibson can never wear the jersey again after that shite.
— Andrew Murray (@andrewmurrayer) May 31, 2016
Ireland continued to push for an equaliser, but with little joy.
Looks like another moral victory against the mighty Belarussians#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
Although O’Dowda showed promise…
Callum O'Dowda, the Oxford Messi
Cultured#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
But it wasn’t enough and Ireland go into Euro 2016 on the back of a loss to the team ranked 77th in the world.
2-1 by the way at full-time, in case you weren't glued to the action
2-1 to Belarus
Yeah, we know#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
If only Malta had’ve been available…
0-0 Norway (1988) ➖
3-0 Malta (1990) ✅
1-3 Czech Rep (1994) ❌
1-2 Nigeria (2002) ❌
0-0 Hungary (2012) ➖Were Malta not available?#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 31, 2016
