IMPRESSIVE IRELAND BEAT URUGUAY 3-1 AT THE AVIVA STADIUM

The Republic of Ireland were deserved winners of this friendly contest in Dublin on Sunday evening against a top team from the America's in Uruguay.

Goals from Jonathan Walters, Cyrus Christie and James McClean gave Republic of Ireland a 3-1 win over the Uruguayans
after Paris Saint-Germain star Edinson Cavani limped off in Dublin.
Uruguay were already operating without Luis Suarez and Diego Godin, and Oscar Tabarez's experimental line-up was unsettled by the early withdrawal of Cavani who decided he was unable to continue shortly after a collision with Kevin Long.

Ireland were good value for taking the lead before the half-hour mark, when Walters finished superbly from 20 yards, but the Stoke forward went from hero to villain in first-half stoppage time when, after Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez headed an equaliser,
Walters hit the crossbar from close range with the goal gaping.

There was an element of fortune about the hosts' second goal when a cross-cum-shot from Derby County full-back Christie skidded low into the corner.

But victory was sealed emphatically on the break by substitute McClean 13 minutes from time.

It meant Martin O'Neill's men bounced back impressively from losing by the same scoreline against Mexico two days ago (with an inexperienced line-up that night) and they enjoyed a timely confidence boost ahead of their final World Cup qualifier of the season against Austria next Sunday at 5:00pm.

Visiting goalkeeper Esteban Conde was making his international debut at 34 and saved well as Uruguay waited to introduce Middlesbrough's Cristhian Stuani as Cavani's replacement, palming behind from Robbie Brady. But Conde was in no man's land as he flapped at the resulting corner, with Shane Duffy just unable to find the decisive touch.

Uruguay were struggling for fluency without their attacking focal point and fell behind in the 27th minute.

Walters collected a pass from Stoke team-mate Glenn Whelan and, with the help of some hesitant defending on the edge of the Uruguay box, Ireland's captain lashed a brilliant shot into the top corner.

Martin Caceres headed a 34th-minute corner against the bar for the South Americans and Ireland did not heed that set-piece warning,
with goalkeeper Darren Randolph venturing errantly from his line before Gimenez's effort looped in.

Walters should have restored the hosts' lead in first-half stoppage time but fired against the bar from two yards after Brady's cross left him with the goal at his mercy, the ball bouncing up as he hit it. 

Thankfully for the experienced forward, he would not have to dwell on the miss for too long as right-back Christie cut inside Caceres and clipped a left-footed effort into the far corner.

Stuani fell foul of the Ireland offside trap when he netted midway through the half, while Gimenez was denied a second when he again towered above the home defence but saw Randolph's half-time replacement Keiren Westwood save brilliantly to his left.

Uruguay must hope to muster more enthusiasm for their midweek trip to Italy than they showed here and Gimenez endured a more forgettable involvement in the 77th minute, diving in desperately
but he was unable to halt McClean on the end of Daryl Murphy's thoughball, with the West Brom winger streaming clear to lash home across Conde to seal a very good victory for Ireland.

IRELAND BEAT GEORGIA IN DUBLIN THANKS TO CAPTAIN COLEMAN

Seamus Coleman's first international goal gave the Republic of Ireland a narrow victory over Georgia in their 2018 World Cup qualifier in Dublin.
Coleman, 27, made a strong run down the right, cut into the box and slotted home after the ball ricocheted into his path thanks to two fortunate rebounds.
It was a victory which the Irish barely deserved from a match which produced little creativity and goalmouth action.
The Republic are one of four Group D teams with four points from two games.

Austria and Wales drew 2-2 in Vienna and Serbia won 3-0 in Moldova in Thursday's other two Group D encounters - suggesting this could be a very competitive group.
For Martin O'Neill's men, this match and Sunday's game with Moldova represent an important few days in their quest to reach the finals in Russia, with anything less than six points a blow to their qualification hopes.
With only the group winners guaranteed an automatic place in the finals, the chance to pick up maximum points against the supposed two weakest teams in the group is crucial to Ireland's ambitions of qualifying for a first World Cup finals since 2002.
The Republic had won all of their previous seven contests with the Georgians, six of them in competitive fixtures, including two one-goal victories in the qualifiers for Euro 2016.
But on Thursday, Georgia, who had lost 2-1 at home to Austria in their opening group game, posed the greater threat in a largely uninspiring first half.
Valeri Kazaishvilli turned and fired a left-foot shot wide of the post in the 17th minute and then the visitors struck the woodwork twice in quick succession with eight minutes of the half remaining.
Levan Mchedlidze thundered a header off the crossbar and when the home side failed to clear, the ball fell to Guram Kashia, whose looping header back over Darren Randolph bounced off the post.
Under-strength Republic battle to three points
The game was the Republic's first since O'Neill signed a deal to continue as manager until the end of the present campaign - and their first competitive home game since reaching the last 16 of Euro 2016.
They started their qualifying campaign with a 2-2 draw in Belgrade last month but Daryl Murphy, the man whose late goal earned them a draw against Serbia, was among eight players ruled out through injury.
Goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, Harry Arter, Stephen Quinn, Kevin Doyle, Aiden McGeady, Anthony Pilkington and Marc Wilson were also absent.
And against a stubborn Georgian side it took an improved second-half performance for O'Neill's team to secure a third win in their last 10 matches.
The Irish showed greater intensity after the resumption and Coleman's strike gave them the boost they needed but scarcely deserved on the balance of play.
James McClean had a header ruled out for offside and the lively West Brom winger later saw another effort cannon off the underside of the bar during a lengthy spell of injury-time caused by a head injury to Robbie Brady, who was forced to retire hurt after receiving treatment following a clash of heads with Georgia defender Solomon Kverkvelia.
The Football Association of Ireland later said Brady was conscious in the dressing room but went to hospital as a precaution for a scan.

IRELAND BEAT BOSNIA 2-0 TO QUALIFY FOR THE EURO 2016 FINALS

A NATION HELD its breath again — and Jon Walters delivered, not once but twice.

Ireland are going to the European Championships in France next summer. The dream that once seemed like wishful thinking is now a reality.

Our reality.

The image of the big Stoke City striker, his arms flung wide in ecstasy after drilling a penalty past Asmir Begovic, will rightly go down as one of the iconic ones in Irish football history.

His first goal settled the nerves and convinced Ireland that not only was victory within their grasp, it was theirs to lose. His second, a level-headed finish from a Robbie Brady free on 70 minutes, rubber-stamped the passports.

To 1988 and 2012, we can now add 2016. A new generation of Joxer’s, their stories only half-written in Poland and Ukraine, will have a chance to finish what they started four years ago.

Walters made his mark where it matter the most, on the scoreboard, but this was a night littered with Irish heroes. Ciaran Clark was a defensive rock while Richard Keogh, going toe-to-toe with Edin Dzeko, was every bit as reliable alongside him.

Brady played with an authority far beyond his 23 years, and after a few false starts from set pieces, finally found the killer ball to break Bosnia’s stubborn challenge.

The sold-out Aviva Stadium crowd arrived needing no reminder of Ireland’s chequered play-off past. So near but yet so far, so many times.

But the new stadium is quickly becoming a fortress to resemble the old haunt on Lansdowne Road. Add another unforgettable night to the list.

Martin O’Neill has not lost a competitive game here as manager and, with the buzz of that historic night against Germany still ringing, the usual pessimism gave way to something resembling cautious optimism.

Friday night’s first leg proved that Bosnia were nothing to be feared and with Walters coming in for Stephen Ward as the only change, the starting XI reflected that.

O’Neill knew that sitting to protect the hard-earned away goal was a fool’s errand and Ireland took the game to their visitors, though the start was littered with mistakes on both sides.

It was a disciplined Irish performance, and while the chances may have been few and far between, the same held through for Mehmad Bazdarevic’s side.

The breakthrough came on 24 minutes, sprung from a moment of genuine creativity. From Seamus Coleman’s short throw-in, Wes Hoolahan flicked the ball back inside to Daryl Murphy who drove his way towards the Bosnian goal.

Ervin Zukanovic tried to twist his body into position as Murphy crossed, and although the ball struck the defender’s flailing arm and lost all of its zip, it’s hard to argue that it was deliberate.

Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers — the man who refereed the second leg against Estonia four years ago, and who might well be adopted as Ireland’s playoff mascot — barely hesitated before pointing to the spot. Bosnia protested as well they might and as the Aviva Stadium became a jittery mess, Walters remained the coolest man in the house.

He waited for Begovic to blink, the goalkeeper inching to his left, before drilling the ball into the opposite corner.

Bosnia arrived knowing that they needed at least one goal to have any chance of progressing, and they immediately set about their task with much more diligence. Within 60 seconds, Dzeko — who looked like he might indeed be carrying a knock — wriggled free of James McCarthy before crashing a shot into the side-netting. Randolph, who was never seriously troubled in that first half, had the danger covered.

Dzeko was involved again in the 34th minute to exploit a rare moment of confusion among the Irish back four. Neither Brady nor Clark challenged him in the air, allowing him to cushion a header to Hans Medunjanin, but the midfielder’s snapshot was always high and rising.

Miralem Pjanic, Roma’s lethal playmaker, dropped deeper and deeper in an attempt to influence proceedings and he nearly unlocked the Irish defence with a threaded through ball.

As in the first leg, Ireland’s left side was the most fruitful avenue for Bosnia’s attacks. Ognjen Vranjes and Edin Visca launched siege after siege but twice in quick succession, the rock-solid Clark intervened to clear before Randolph snuffed out another dangerous moment.

Ireland did have a chance to double their advantage before the break thanks to some brilliant link play by Glenn Whelan and Jeff Hendrick but Begovic did well to snatch the ball off Murphy’s head.

It was a brief respite from a period of Bosnian dominance which continued into the second half, and not long after the restart, Clark was perfectly positioned once again to flick Medunjanin’s whipped free over the bar to safety.

With Bosnia taking an ominous stranglehold, Martin O’Neill acted decisively to make changes. James McClean came on to replace Hoolahan, a mirror image of the change that paid dividends in Zenica on Friday night, while Shane Long — playing his first football in more than a month — relieved Murphy at the head of the line.

Pjanic nearly found Bosnia’s equaliser with a clever training-ground routine on the hour mark, but there were too many bodies blocking his path to goal.

And on 70 minutes, Brady finally found his mark. His whipped delivery from the left had the Bosnian defence on the back foot and Vranjes could only get enough of a touch to loop the ball up into the air.

Watching it drop, Walters steadied himself at the back post and rattled a shot so precise that it kissed the inside of the woodwork before nestling in the back of Begovic’s net.

Bosnia’s siege never lifted but Randolph and his defenders always did enough to quell the danger.

Here’s a sentence you can read and read and read between now and next summer: Ireland are going to France.