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25.05.2014 at 18:00 Aviva Stadium
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Attendance: 15000 |
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Republic of Ireland |
1 - 2
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Turkey
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Referee: R Buquet (France) |
Friendly / PROG-match |
Jon Walters (78)
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Ahmet Ilhan Ozek 17 mins,
Osman Tarik Camda 75 mins, |
Republic of Ireland 1 Turkey 2
The Republic of Ireland fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat against Turkey in a 3 international friendly at Aviva Stadium on Sunday night.
In what was Martin O’Neill’s fourth game in charge of Ireland, the first goal went to the visitors with Ahmet Ilhan Ozek finding the net on 17 minutes with a close-range header.
The goal came from a good move that saw Gokhan Gonul pick out his teammate with a swift cross from the right flank to fire past goalkeeper Rob Elliot, who was making his senior debut.
Turkey got their second goal on 75 minutes when Osman Tarik Camdal had an instant impact upon coming on as a substitute as he converted past Elliot after a clever pass from Oguzhan Ozyakup.
Ireland, though, pulled a goal back through substitute Jonathan Walters when he superbly controlled a lobbed pass from Wes Hoolahan to cut back inside his marker and blast in.
In fact, it was Ireland who played the better football in the first half with Shane Long, Stephen Ward, John O’Shea, Wes Hoolahan, and James McClean all going close with efforts.
On seven minutes, Ward ventured forward from left-back to fizz a shot just wide in response to an earlier shot from Turkey’s No 9, Mevlut Erdinc, who tested Elliot’s alertness.
Ireland continued to press on with Aiden McGeady’s delivery from a free-kick leading to Long unleashing a shot at keeper Onur Recep Kivrak and O’Shea having an effort cleared off the goal-line.
Turkey interrupted that good spell for the home team with their goal, but O’Neill’s side attempted to bounce back with Hoolahan and McClean both testing their luck with headed chances.
Yet it was the away team who got the next goal when Camdal drifted into space to collect a reverse pass from Ozyakup and bury the ball into the roof of Ireland’s net beside their travelling support.
It took only three minutes for Ireland to respond as Walters connected with a long pass from Hoolahan, controlled it and turned past the last defender before firing in a superb shot.
Ireland could not get a second goal to earn a draw, so they will now turn their focus to Saturday’s friendly against Italy in Craven Cottage before a two-game tour to the United States.
Republic of Ireland: Elliot; Coleman, O’Shea, Delaney (Meyler 66), Ward; McGeady (Murphy 66), Whelan (Quinn 82), Wilson, McClean; Hoolahan; Long (Walters 66).
Turkey: Kivrak; Gonul, Toprak, Balta, Erkin; Sahin (Dogan 84); Ozek (Camdal 71), Inan (Ozyakup 21), Kisa (Tufan h-t), Calhanoglu (Adin 63); Erdinc (Pektemek 82).
Referee: R Buquet (France).
From Sky Sports
Turkey capitalised on poor finishing from the Republic of Ireland as they grabbed a 2-1 win in Dublin.
Ireland were the most threatening side in the opening exchanges, with Turkey thankful for their goalkeeper Onur Kivrak after the Trabzonspor player palmed away Shane Long's close-range effort.
Martin O'Neill's side were made to pay for their lack of cutting edge 15 minutes into the game, when Ahmet Ilhan headed in his first international goal for Turkey - meeting Gokhan Gonul's sumptuous cross to leave debutant goalkeeper Rob Elliot with no chance.
O'Neill hails team effort
Fatih Terim's side doubled their lead with just quarter of an hour to go, when Ozyakup played a superbly disguised ball towards fellow substitute Tarik Camdal - who fired it high into Elliot's goal.
Ireland pulled a goal back immediately when Jon Walters skipped past a couple of challenges, and curled in an exquisite strike to set up a frantic finale to the match.
But Turkey managed to hold on despite Ireland's late onslaught - claiming their fifth successive win. O'Neill, meanwhile, suffered his second successive friendly defeat as boss.
Ireland played in fits and starts with wingers Aiden McGeady and James McClean and playmaker Wes Hoolahan the bright spots.
They might have been awarded two penalties as Turkey defender Omer Toprak rode his luck, and the visitors were indebted to the resilience of goalkeeper Onur.
The Newcastle goalkeeper had little time to settle as he was called upon for the first time with less than a minute gone to keep out striker Mevlut Erdinc's skidding shot, and, but for a near-post block by Stephen Ward, he might have been required once again seconds later.
However, it was Ireland who largely enjoyed the better of the opening stages, and they were hugely aggrieved not to be awarded a fifth-minute penalty after Long went down under Toprak's clumsy challenge, but not to the satisfaction of French referee Ruddy Buquet.
Ward smashed a left-footed shot just wide of the far post two minutes later with the home side in enterprising mood, and Long was denied by Onur from point-blank range before John O'Shea's follow-up was blocked on the line.
But the home side were to be felled by a sucker punch with 17 minutes played.
Gokhan Gonul's right-wing cross was inviting, but the header applied to it by Ahmet proved unstoppable as Elliot dived full length to no avail.
Ireland's response was concerted, with McGeady the architect of much of their best work.
He led full-back Caner Erkin a merry dance to produce a series of dangerous balls into the box, one of which was headed wide by McClean.
O'Shea rues missed chances
The Wigan midfielder turned provider 10 minutes before the break with a cross which Long back-heeled just off target, and he was unfortunate not to level himself within seconds when Onur repelled his well-struck shot from McGeady's left-wing cross.
Damian Delaney departed three minutes later along with McGeady and Long as O'Neill introduced David Meyler, Daryl Murphy and Walters with Marc Wilson.
Toprak was fortunate to escape once again after appearing to tug Hoolahan's shirt inside the box with 15 minutes remaining.
Ireland were still smarting when their fortunes dipped further as substitutes Oguzhan Ozyakup and Tarik combined for the later to extend the visitors' lead in emphatic style just seconds later.
Walters' equally convincing finish after wrong-footing Toprak later gave O'Neill's men hope, but Murphy headed straight at Onur from McClean's 86th-minute cross as the Republic came up short. |
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