Ireland draw with Senegal despite Caoimhín Kelleher's super save

Republic of Ireland 1 Senegal 1

Caoimhín Kelleher, Adam Idah, and Jake O’Brien featured as the Republic of Ireland drew with Senegal in an international friendly at the Aviva Stadium.

Kasey McAteer got the goal for the Boys in Green on his first senior start and Ismaïla Sarr equalised in the 82nd minute.

There was no appearance by Carrigaline native Josh Honohan, who was listed on the substitute bench by Heimir Hallgrímsson.

Ireland started well and out of that came the first chance in the 18th minute, with Will Smallbone firing wide after collecting a pass from Dara O’Shea.

The would-be-scorer set up the opener with a corner to the back post that was knocked out to Ryan Manning, was able to find Nathan Collins with a cross. The defender headed it on for a McAteer header that was pushed away by Yehvann Diouf, and the Leicester City winger drilled in the loose ball from right in front of the posts in the 21st minute.

Ireland went back to controlling possession and Senegal pushed for an equaliser before the break with an advance decided by a late Habib Diarra strike that went high and wide.

Their first proper effort on goal was a header in the 51st minute and Kelleher pushed this onto the crossbar with a finger-tip save.

Ireland immediately got back in control, while moving into a more traditional 4-4-2 formation from a variation of 3-4-2-1 after Evan Ferguson replaced Jack Taylor.

Senegal used this moment of uncertainty to free up Lamine Camara for a shot on the edge of the area that squirmed through and hit off the post and Collins cleared the Ireland lines in the 68th minute.

Hallgrímsson used the time that was left to tinker with his team and O’Brien was one of those players brought on during a wave of substitutes, and the Cork City academy graduate replaced Manning.

This never felt like a friendly and this showed when Sarr levelled after a shot from Cherif Ndiaye rebounded to the forward inside the area.

Senegal actually finished the stronger of the two teams, with their goal followed by a push for a winner and that came down to a free-kick in the third minute of time added on and that hit the wall.

IRELAND: Caoimhín Kelleher; Matt Doherty, Nathan Collins, Dara O'Shea, Robbie Brady; Jason Knight, Jack Taylor, Will Smallbone, Kasey McAteer, Ryan Manning; Adam Idah.

Subs: Evan Ferguson for Taylor (58); Killian Philips for Doherty (66); Jake O’Brien for Manning (66), Festy Ebosele for McAteer (80), Andrew Moran for Smallbone (81), Liam Scales for Brady (85).

SENEGAL: Yehvann Diouf, Arial Mendy, Abdoulaye Seck, Abdou Diallo, Ismail Jakobs, Habib Diarra, Mamadou Lamine Camara, Krépin Diatta, Abdallah Sima, Boulaye Dia, Iliman Ndiaye.

Subs: Lamine Camara for Diatta (62); Ismaila Sarr for Sima (63), Cheikh Sabaly for Lamine Camara (77), Cherif Ndiaye for Dia (77), El Hadji Malick Diouf for Jakobs (85).

Referee: Adam Ladebäck (Sweden)