- Evan Ferguson missed a penalty as the Republic of Ireland and Belgium drew
- Interim head coach John O’Shea narrowly missed a notable friendly scalp
- England’s 2004 European Championship team were great on paper, but they didn’t win. Can this crop do it this summer? Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Evan Ferguson missed a penalty as the Republic of Ireland missed the opportunity to give interim head coach John O’Shea a remarkable scalp against Belgium.
The Brighton striker, who registered for international duty without scoring in 20 games for his club, saw his penalty saved in the 28th minute by Nottingham Forest keeper Matz Sels, ending the friendly match in the stormy Aviva Stadium at 0-0 .
Belgium had most of the ball, but Ireland created the better chances, with debutant Sammie Szmodics coming close more than once.
O’Shea remains responsible for the friendly match against Switzerland on Tuesday and will have been satisfied with the organization and commitment of his players.
After the restart, Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco sent on Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku for Leandro Trossard, but the hosts came close within seconds.
Ferguson towered over the defense and met Robbie Brady’s inviting cross six yards out but could not suppress his header.
Evan Ferguson missed from the penalty spot as Ireland had a goalless draw
Ireland created good chances against Belgium, with debutant Sammie Szmodics coming close
Interim coach John O’Shea remains responsible for the friendly match against Switzerland on Tuesday
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