Evan Ferguson’s fourth senior international goal handed the Republic of Ireland a 1-0 Nations League victory over Finland as Caoimhin Kelleher saved a penalty to see them across the line.
The 20-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion striker’s header in the final minute of the first half proved enough to take all three points.
The outcome could have been different but for Liverpool keeper Kelleher keeping out substitute Joel Pohjanpalo’s second-half spot-kick.
Ireland also beat Finland in Helsinki last month and head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has now won two out of five matches since taking charge.
But the fact that Ireland have tasted victory just eight times in their last 34 competitive outings fixtures serves as a reminder that they remain a work in progress.
Last night (Thursday 14 November), a fit-again Ferguson, aided by the invention of winger Mikey Johnston, was a sign of the Republic’s progress.
There was also the movement and industry of Sammie Szmodics and a general tenacity in defence indicating a measure of improvement even if Ireland could credit the woodwork for two first-half escapes.
Kaan Kairinen produced the game’s first attempt with 14 minutes gone but cleared the crossbar by some distance, much to the enjoyment of the locals.
Liam Scales, though, had to throw himself into the path of the midfielder’s 16th-minute shot after Nikolai Alho and Robin Lod had exchanged passes down the right to open Ireland up.
Ferguson teed up what some thought should have been the first goal in the 23rd-minute with their most fluent move of the game up to that point.
Szmodics rounded keeper Lukas Hradecky to finish after running on to Ferguson’s superb pass but he had slightly mistimed his run – and an offside flag ruined his celebrations.
Ferguson saw a long-range attempt loop over with Hradecky wrong-footed two minutes later with Hallgrimsson’s men warming to their task.
But they were lucky to escape just after the half hour when Alho robbed Johnston and fed Lod. He curled a left-foot shot across Kelleher but saw the ball come back off the far post.
Striker Benjamin Kallman acrobatically headed just wide from an Antman cross and was then denied one-on-one by Kelleher.
And Hradecky had to tip over Szmodics’s well-struck effort after he had muscled defender Arttu Hoskonen off the ball.
Matt Doherty – back in the starting line-up after initially being left out of the squad – powered a free header wide from Johnston’s corner with four minutes of the half remaining.
But it took Nathan Collins’s intervention to turn Antman’s goal-bound effort on to the same post which had earlier denied Kallman.
And the Republic made the most of their second escape on the stroke of half-time. Johnston tricked his way past Alho once again and chipped the most teasing of crosses into the box for Ferguson to head home from close range.
His evening took a turn for the worse, though, with 14 minutes remaining when, after a VAR review, he was adjudged to have blocked O’Shaughnessy’s hooked attempt with his arm. The German referee Harm Osmers belatedly pointed to the spot.
But Kelleher guessed correctly as he dived to his right to save Pohjanpalo’s attempt from 12 yards before claiming the loose ball.
And the Finland striker further fluffed his lines in stoppage time when he fell over inside the box after being presented with a chance to redeem himself.
For Albion fans, though, it was good to see Ferguson not only having chances but converting one of them – and a vital one at that.
