[ad_1]
23 Darren Randolph (West Ham United)
He became Ireland’s third goalkeeper after Packie Bonner and Shay Given to reach 50 caps, but he didn’t have much to do in his historic appearance. An early stop by Iliev wasn’t the most orderly, but he was quick on his line to put down Ivanov in 30 minutes. He was almost embarrassed by Kraev when he tried to spin Cruyff in his six-yard box, but he recovered just in time. Rating: 6
20 Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion)
It says a lot that Dara O’Shea, in her fourth international appearance, felt like one of the oldest statesmen on this Irish side. Defensively solid, making a series of good punts under pressure, he excelled up front and his shot from the right flank provided Ireland with arguably their best attacking start. Rating: 7
Dara O’Shea was one of Ireland’s best players against Bulgaria. Photograph: Bryan Keane / Inpho
4 Shane Duffy (Celtic)
Once again, it was difficult to shake off the feeling that Ireland’s central first half has low confidence, and it produced another shaky display at Aviva Stadium. A bad pass to Hourihane allowed Ivanov to break in during the first half, and he struggled to make his presence felt in the Bulgarian area, glancing at his only decent chance. You imagine that he will be happy to see the end of this international break. Rating: 5
15 Kevin Long (Burnley)
Long seemed uncomfortable at times against Bulgaria, especially when it came to playing the ball from behind. He was severely booked after just 10 minutes for climbing over Iliev midway, but while he looked shaky in possession, he often recovered well and made some vital punts. One of the few players from Ireland to get out of this window on credit. Rating: 6
3 Ryan Manning (Swansea City)
This was a difficult introduction to international football for the 24-year-old, who was often caught out of position by Bulgarian captain Popov in the first half. However, he was steadfast in his task and was always looking to advance, even if his final ball was bad. Having played only one game for Swansea this season, this was a great question, and it was no surprise to see him go down with cramps at the end. Rating: 5
6 Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa)
Hourihane started out as the deepest of the three in Ireland’s midfield, picking up the ball from center-backs, but struggled to sway things and dictate the pace throughout. He was exposed on defense on the fast break but looked better as the game progressed and could play higher up the field. His delivery towards death was good, but Ireland failed to capitalize. Rating: 5
10 Robbie Brady (Burnley)
He produced the highlight of the game, when he cut inside in the second half and rocked the crossbar with a dive-and-deflection effort. It would have been a way to end Ireland’s goal drought. Far from it, his set piece delivery was good and he was always looking to pass forward through the lines before running out of legs and was eventually forced out. Rating: 6
Jason Knight reacts to a missed opportunity during Ireland’s goalless draw with Bulgaria. Photograph: James Crombie / Inpho
17 Jason Knight (Derby County)
The 19-year-old gentleman, who has always been present at Derby this season, became more of the game as it passed. He provided a tenacious presence in the first half and showed his prowess on the ball in the second – his run and perfectly weighted passing set Curtis up for the best chance of the match, which he beat. Rating: 7
8 Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers)
It was a strange night for Horgan, who was on the periphery for much of the first half and was reduced to trying to get Bulgaria off the ball. A shift to the right wing saw him briefly come to life and created an opportunity for Collins, but he soon veered towards the limits of the game again and was the first man hooked. Rating: 5
9 James Collins (City of Luton)
The Luton Town forward spent much of the first half falling to find the ball and suffering a lot of physical punishment in the process. He missed two good head chances towards the end of the first half and was close early in the second. His performance mirrored that of Ireland as a whole: a lot of effort without a clinical advantage. Rating: 6
Ronan Curtis lost his match opportunity when Ireland drew with Bulgaria. Photograph: Bryan Keane / Inpho
11 Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth)
It was a frustrating night for Ireland’s three forwards, who were often isolated and didn’t see much of the ball. Curtis approached early with a deflected shot from the right of the box that deflected off the back post, but then turned away Ireland’s best chance in the second half – his first touch of Knight’s pass was perfect, his second sent the ball to Row Z. Rating: 5
Bank
The fact that Kenny didn’t make a substitute until nearly 70 minutes reflects how threadbare his team is today, with players like Knight having to play the full 90. Josh Cullen was eager to catch the ball when he introduced himself, while Jack Byrne helped up the tempo with a flashy late cameo. Rating: 5
Manager
It has been an international window to forget for Kenny, who has refused to feel sorry for himself despite facing one problem after another. A goal tonight would have lifted your spirits and seen the end of the year on the highest, but ultimately it’s not fair to read too much about recent results given the constraints you’ve had to work on. Let’s go to 2021. Rating: 6
[ad_2]