Ireland have overcome an early scare to defeat Bulgaria 2-1 (4-2 aggregate) in their Nations League playoff in the Aviva Stadium to secure their place in the Nations League Group B.
There was no question that Ireland were the far superior side in the first half, and barring on the scoreboard dominated Bulgaria in every aspect of the game.
Despite that dominance, however, Bulgaria proved crucially more clinical than Heimir Hallgrímsson's men, with Valentin Antov claiming a scrappy and possibly undeserved corner goal against the run of play to put his side a goal to the better.
Valentin Antov gives Bulgaria the lead and puts them level on aggregate in the 30th minute.
🇮🇪 0-1🇧🇬
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Re-emerging from the tunnel Ireland were visibly more energised and once again enjoyed their fair share of chances to draw the affair level. It took well over an hour, but Evan Ferguson eventually got Hallgrímsson's men on the scoresheet when he set up and then finished a wonderful one-two with Azaz just as he looked set to be withdrawn.
A little one-two between Azaz and Ferguson, the latter finds the net for his fifth goal for Ireland.
🇮🇪 1-1 🇧🇬
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With the affair all square, it took substitutes Mark Sykes and Adam Idah to put Ireland ahead in the 83rd minute. It was Sykes who got Ireland into the box with a crushing breakaway run, before Adam Idah did tremendously to make up the ground and finish the ensuant Sykes cross.
Sykes makes a run on the left and crosses it to Adam Idah who pops it into the bottom left corner.
🇮🇪 2-1 🇧🇬
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Reid not getting carried away by Evan Ferguson's contributions
Speaking on Virgin Media after the clash, former Ireland international Andy Reid was hugely impressed by the manner in which Evan Ferguson got his name on the scoreboard.
He takes up a great position at the start, turns drives forward you want to see players driving forward, commits the defender...and then when Evan Ferguson steps in, he lifts it nicely into the top of the net there.
I think it's a really good goal. It's one that you want to see your forward players being the ones making the chances and being the ones taking the chances and we've seen it there.
Ferguson has endured a tumultuous few months across the Irish Sea and many will be hoping that tonight's goal provides the launchpad he needs to get to back the form Ireland so desperately need him to be in.
However, while he got back on the Irish scoresheet tonight just as he looked set to be replaced by Heimir Hallgrímsson, Andy Reid wasn't getting carried away by his offering and felt that without more Premier League minutes there was only so much the 20-year-old could offer Ireland.
For me the key to Evan Ferguson is him getting a good run of games, getting 10,12,14 games and that's difficult at club level he's playing at a good club in West Ham.
He needs to force his way into that team, he needs to play week in, week out. If we get Evan Ferguson playing week in, week out in the Premier League then I think we get a player who performs for Ireland, they go hand in hand.
You can't have sombody who is a bit part player, comes on and off, plays a few minutes here, and then expect them to turn up for Ireland and be brilliant and be excellent for 90 minutes. It doesn't work like that, football doesn't, so he needs to get games at club level.
Having secured their future in Nations League B, Ireland will now face Portugal who beat Denmark tonight in a World Cup qualifier.
Ireland and Portugal will be joined in their group by Hungary and Armenia and having an on-form Evan Ferguson certainly wouldn't damage Ireland's chances of getting through the group.
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28 February 2025; A match ball during the U16 Boys International Friendly match between Repubic of Ireland and Finland at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
