Adam Idah opens his Irish account in comfortable three nil win over Gibraltar

Ireland 3

Gibraltar 0

THE Republic of Ireland claimed their first win in Euro 2024 qualifying with early second half goals from Mikey Johnston and Evan Ferguson and a late Adam Idah header giving them a 3-0 victory over Gibraltar at the Aviva Stadium on Monday night.

Cork's Idah rounded off the night by getting his first senior international goal by turning in a cross from James McClean in injury time.

All of the action happened after an opening 45 minutes that saw the home team dominate possession but unable to break down a Gibraltar side that camped inside their own penalty area.

Monday was supposed to be a statement, a night that banished the loss to Greece and set Ireland up for a massive double header against France and the Netherlands in September. 

And it looked like this would happen with just 30 seconds on the clock as Jason Knight found Jamie McGrath, and the midfielder forced a low save from Dayle Coleing.

Instead, Ireland struggled as they were pushed wide and their crosses were swatted away. When Ferguson and Josh Cullen tried to score from distance, Coleing did his job.

Jamie McGrath, who was one of the five changes made to the team that lost in Athens, went the closest to finding the back of the net in the first half, and his venomous shot was met with a stretched save from Coleing and the ball was pushed out for a corner.

Ireland tried changing things up after the break, with Johnston coming on for Nathan Collins. 

He introduced himself by winning a corner and Will Smallbone’s ball was headed over by John Egan.

Then Ireland won a free-kick and Smallbone tried to curl this in. 

The ball deflected off the Gibraltar wall and landed at the feet of Johnston. He finished into an empty net and made it 1-0 to the hosts.

The roar was more of relief than celebration, as the red and white wall was finally breached by an Irish team that was dominating possession.

This changed the whole mood inside the ground, as if it granted a new sense of freedom to the players on the pitch. 

There was an instant pay-off as Ferguson connected with a cross inside the area that McClean sent in and headed in his first goal in a senior competitive international.

Once the second went in, Ireland were in total control. 

While they were already dominating the flow of the play, they carried a greater sense of urgency that led to a number of opportunities they were unable to create in the first half.

Troy Parrott stung the hands of Coleing with a left footed shot from inside the area during this period, and they won three corners in just 90 seconds. 

Gibraltar tried to break after all of this and John Egan sprinted back to block their passing lanes and win the ball back for Ireland.

Idah finished the game by heading in a McClean cross, and that gave Ireland the 3-0 win.

Republic of Ireland: Gavin Bazunu; Dara O'Shea, John Egan, Josh Cullen, Evan Ferguson, Michael Obafemi, James McClean, Nathan Collins, Jason Knight, Jamie McGrath, William Smallbone.

Subs: Mikey Johnston for Collins (45), Troy Parrott for Obafemi (56), Alan Browne for Smallbone (71), Adam Idah for Ferguson (83), Jeff Hendrick for Knight (83).

Gibraltar: Dayle Coleing; John Sergeant, Louie Annesley, Nicholas Pozo, Ayoub El Hmidi, Bernardo Lopes, Niels Hartman, Jayce Olivero, Roy Chipolina, Kian Ronan, Ethan Britto.

Subs: Aymen Mouelhi for Ronan (43), Scott Wiseman for Sergeant (46), Tjay De Barr for El Hmidi (46), Ethan Terence Jolley for Pozo (68), Scott Ballantine for Britto (73).

Referee: Marian Alexandru Barbu