In League B Group 2 of the Nations League, the Republic of Ireland emerged victorious over England with a scoreline of 2 – nil, with goals credited to Declan Rice (12 min) and Jack Grealish (26 min). The superiority of Lee Carsley’s team was made evident in less than half an hour, thanks to the scoring prowess of Rice and Grealish, both honed through the Irish youth system.
Unlike Rice, who chose not to revel in his goal, Grealish almost hurled himself towards the gathering of English fans at the end of Havelock Square. The jeers of an audience of over 50,000 transformed into the melodies of The Great Escape, heartily crooned by 3,000 England enthusiasts.
This match marked a stark contrast to England’s efforts in Euro 2024. The introduction of Anthony Gordon and Grealish revolutionised their offensive play, and Rice shone under Carsely’s direction. It further helped that Ireland, under newly-appointed coach Heimir Hallgrímsson, provided England with an open invitation, unable to retain ball possession.
It had been a good start to the day. Carsley, the acting England manager with 40 Ireland caps in his portfolio, prepared his players on the sunny Irish pitch – a vast improvement from his first match “on a horrendous, waterlogged rugby” pitch in 1997.
The tune of Mandinka by Sinead O’Connor greeted Rice on his 59th appearance for England – a stark contrast to his third cap for Ireland. His performance justified his €124 million valuation.
British fans gathered as the stadium resonated with the music of U2 and Aslan, in front of the vast “Thank You for the Days” Jack Charlton banner along the southern end. The pre-match aural treat was followed by the Put ’em under Pressure song famous to Charlton, with local supporters serenading the visitor team members.
The old locale was brimming with life, marked by an exchange of greetings between Séamus Coleman and Harry Kane in the tunnel. Meanwhile, security was forced to intervene when an over-enthusiastic fan in full English attire appeared beside Gordon on the red carpet.
Ireland’s President, Michael D Higgins, gave Jack Grealish a hearty reception, while Declan Rice extended a firm handshake to the president. There was mutual respect, despite the anthems of both sides being vociferously booed by rival fans.
Jayson Molumby crossed paths with Grealish just after 100 seconds, resulting in a Robbie Brady corner. Molumby’s sharp header, nonetheless, sailed over the English crossbar marking Ireland’s one opportunity.
Gordon’s first crossing run left every player behind, but Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered a fine pass that met Harry Kane’s head. Nathan Collins failed to keep hold of the Bayern Munich player, leading to a missed shot on goal. Eleven minutes in, Sammie Szmodics had an attempt that was effortlessly blocked by Jordan Pickford.
Yet that instant was forgotten when Alexander-Arnold drove a 40-meter pass to Gordon. Despite a commendable save by Caoimhín Kelleher and a block on Kane’s attempt by Collins, Rice found the chance to strike the ball into the goal – top corner, leaving Kelleher as a spectator. Will Smallbone had also lost his player.
The lack of overt celebration from the ex-Irish international didn’t go unnoticed and antagonised the home crowd, coming across as insincere.
The incident was dubbed “a dagger to the heart” by Shay Given on RTÉ, while Carsley unabashedly exhibited his emotions, roaring in celebration before joining his team.
Within 15 minutes, England had taken control of the game, with Rice and Gordon continually attacking down the left. Despite Kelleher pulling off another remarkable save against Kane, Ireland was unable to make any significant passes, leaving room for counterattacks by England.
The statistics mid-way through the first half told a clear story: England had 78 percent possession, executed 92 percent passing accuracy from 209 attempts compared to Ireland, who completed 147 passes with an accuracy of 70 percent over the entire match.
When Rice managed to secure England’s second goal, the atmosphere took a hit, with Grealish expertly finishing off the move.
The future captain of England’s football team sliced his way through a throng of green jerseys by efficiently playing one-twos with Kobbie Mainoo and Saka, offering a career resurgence to Grealish after a timely square pass. Taking up the central position like a conventional number 10, the 28-year-old player found the net from under three Irish players, leaving Kelleher with no chance of a save.
Rather than a battle of Premier League equals, this match displayed a marked difference. Ireland walked onto the pitch with eight Premier League players, supplemented by Robbie Brady and Molumby from the English second league and Celtic’s Adam Idah. England began with ten plus Kane. It was Rice who dominated the game from midfield, with Smallbone and Molumby remaining relatively ineffective.
A significant move was called for before the half time, and Chiedozie Ogbene stepped up. He took Mainoo for a 30-metre dash down the left, then passed the ball over Idah and Szmodics. Post-interval, the game became lethargic. Seamus Coleman, having suffered a harsh collision with Harry Maguire, had to be substituted at the 57th minute.
Ireland’s game-changing round of passing began with Dara O’Shea finding Ogbene. A rapid dash to the front post by Jason Knight enabled Ogbene to find Szmodics in similar placement to Grealish’s scoring position. Unfortunately, Szmodics’ shot was off target. Persistent attempts by Knight and Ogbene down England’s right flank, let Szmodics pivot and set Molumby up, albeit for a high and wide shot.
Dublin will play host to Greece on Tuesday and a full house is expected, despite morale being low.
Ireland’s line-up: Kelleher (Liverpool), Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Coleman (Everton), O’Shea (Ipswich Town), Collins (Brentford), Brady (Preston North End), Smallbone (Southampton), Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Ogbene (Ipswich Town), Idah (Celtic) and Szmodics (Ipswich Town). Substitutions included O’Brien (Everton) substituted for Coleman and Knight (Bristol City) for Doherty (both 57 mins), Alan Browne (Sunderland) for Smallbone and McAteer (Leicester City) for Idah (both 75 minutes), as well as Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion) for Brady at the 82nd minute.
In England’s latest fixture, the team included Pickford from Everton, Alexander-Arnold representing Liverpool, Maguire from Manchester United, Guéhi from Crystal Palace, and Colwill of Chelsea. Midfield was handled by Rice of Arsenal and Mainoo who also hails from Manchester United. The forward attackers were Saka of Arsenal, Grealish from Manchester City, Gordon from Newcastle United and Kane who plays for Bayern Munich.
There were some significant substitutions during the match. Grealish departed for Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, Gordon was changed out for Eze of Crystal Palace, and Mainoo was replaced with Gomes from Lille, all occurring at 77 minutes. Additionally, in the 85th minute, Kane and Maguire were swapped for Bowen from West Ham United and Stones from Manchester City respectively. The game was officiated by the Spanish referee, José María Sánchez.