Robbie Brady pierces the Zenica fog to give Ireland an edge over Bosnia
Bosnia-Herzegovina 1 - 1 Rep of IrelandHome team scorers
Edin Dzeko 85
Away team scorers
Robbie Brady 82
Robbie Brady scores the goal that gives Ireland a slight advantage going into the second leg in Dublin.
The Republic of Ireland leave Bosnia & Herzegovina knowing they are slightly closer to France, but not as near as they would have been if Robbie Brady’s 82nd minute goal had been enough to secure a first-leg lead. Instead the hosts hit back quickly, Eden Dzeko equalising within three minutes. Tension will be high for Monday’s second leg in Dublin. Ireland will be bolstered by the return of they key players who were ruled out of this game. And both sides will be aware that there is no further room for lapses.
Ireland’s first challenge was to keep composed as the country embarked on its seventh play-off in the last 20 years, most of which have bred painful memories. Long before kick-off the locals broke out fireworks, flags and throbbing chants to generate the atmosphere that convinces Bosnia to host critical matches in a dinky 12,000-seater stadium in the city of Zenica, far from the capital, Sarajevo. If that was partially to intimidate the visitors, Martin O’Neill’s teamsheet, at least, did not betray any meekness: the Irish manager’s decision to include Wes Hoolahan, whose only previous away start in the campaign had been in the inevitable win over Gibraltar, suggested a degree of boldness.
Hoolahan, at 33, struggles to complete two 90-minute bouts within a few days and tends to be preserved for matches in Dublin, so starting the country’s most creative player here seemed to be a recognition of the potential value of away goals. And also of the fact that Daryl Murphy would need the best possible service, with the enforced absences of Shane Long and Jon Walters meaning the Ipswich Town striker was given the opportunity to seek his first international goal on his 18th appearance. Ciaran Clark began in place of the suspended John O’Shea, the Aston Villa centre-back’s fine performance in the goalless draw against Manchester City last weekend spawning hope that he could help stifle Edin Dzeko, the former City centre-forward whose preciousness to Bosnia was evidenced by seven goals in the group stages and delirious adulation from the bouncing hordes in the Zenica stands.
The home team’s manager. Mehmed Bazdarevic, had declared his intention to go for an early goal and his players tried to put what he had preached to practice. From the outset the two wide players,Edin Visca and Senad Lulic, showed their zeal to race forward and effectively form a four-man front line. But Ireland were well organised and it was not until the 11th minute that Bosnia managed a shot, Miralem Pjanic firing over from the edge of the box after a run and cross by Visca.
Three minutes later two Irish defenders collided with each other in their eagerness to cut out a corner by Pjanic, leaving Ervin Zukanovic free nine yards out, but the Bosnian fluffed his header.
Bosnia were highly driven but not particularly polished and there was scope for Ireland to test the solidity of a home defence that looked jittery, but the visitors’ passing in the first half was too sloppy, meaning they enticed further pressure instead.
Stephen Ward, the Burnley left-back who has barely played for his club this season, was suffering at the feet of Visca, who whizzed past him again in the 19th minute before crossing to Vedad Ibisevic, who shot into the sidenetting. Soon after, Ward was booked for pulling the shirt of his tormentor. There was no chance of Visca relenting and in the 32nd minute he crossed for Zukanovic, whose weak header was saved easily by Darren Randolph.
Maybe it was the tension of the occasion, but the overall quality of play was such that the first half could have been seen not so much as a last chance to qualify as an argument against expanding the finals to 24 teams.
That was not Ireland’s concern. At the break O’Neill’s men had a scoreline that they would be content to take to Dublin, and the home crowd’s fervour had turned to anxiety. The onus was on Bosnia to plot a route to goal and that would also entail finding a way through the thick fog that descended in the second half.
Visca remained the most dangerous Bosnian. A cross from the winger in the 52nd minute would have given Dzeko a close-range tap-in if not for an excellent sliding intervention by Clark. Then Ireland bared for the first time. Robbie Brady delivered a deep cross from the left and crossed for Jeff Hendrick, whose header dropped just over the bar.
Hoolahan, closely tracked by Edin Cocalic and thus unable to exert the anticipated influence on proceedings, was replaced by James McClean after an hour. Moments later Ireland inadvertently contrived to present the hosts with their best chance so far, Brady and Richard Keogh botching a clearance and allowing the ball to break to Lulic. Randolph reacted brilliantly, surging off his line to block the forward’s shot. Marc Wilson came on for Ward in the 66th minute to bolster Irish resistance.
Moments later Bazdarevic took off Visca. He replaced the winger with the 6ft6in striker Milan Djuric but Plan B was about to go badly wrong for the hosts. Eight minutes from time Brady retrieved a punt downfield, turned past Toni Sunjic and cracked a low shot past Asmir Begovic and into the net. The home crowd were silenced, the Irish players rejoiced. But their joy was short-lived, as three minutes later Ognjen Vranjes did a fine impression of Visca, hurtling down the right and delivering a low cross that Dzeko sidefooted into the net.
Guardian
