A first two-goal comeback in a qualifier by Ireland since 1981 yielded a point against Hungary that they’ll hope to build on to reach next year’s World Cup.
Substitute Adam Idah supplied the stoppage-time equaliser to complete the turnaround from a position by trailing by two goals inside the first 15 minutes.
Barnabás Varga and Roland Sallai punished Irish slackness early on but a reply four minutes into the second half, followed by Sallai’s impetuous red card, gave them the initiative to eventually source a second goal.
“I felt we deserved the three points,” reflected Heimir Hallgrímsson, when asked about his lack of celebration at full-time.
“Psychologically it was difficult coming back from two goals but Hungary were wasting time from their second goal.
“If you don’t win, the recovery is more difficult but I could see us grow. I said at half-time we can get back into the match. We had nothing to lose so said we’d go gung-ho.
“We had 40 crosses in the match, some underhit, and there were some fouls against us in the box that the referee didn’t penalise Hungary for.
“It’s not easy to come from two goals down, especially against a nation ranked 22 places ahead of us, but we were brave and goals change games.
“Tuesday against Armenia becomes an even more important game for us. We said four points over this window would be okay, even if we felt we could have got three against Hungary.” This was the eight time in his nine competitive game of his reign that Ireland fell behind.
Fighting back to extract a draw at the death will give them a spring heading on Tuesday to Armenia, hammered 5-0 by top seeds Portugal.
Hallgrímsson’s preference for Ryan Manning further up the pitch influenced the decision to fill the left-back place created by Robbie Brady’s absence with Matt Doherty.
Albeit a right-footer, he’d switched flanks in his club career, less so Ireland, but his first contribution was one to forget.
Choosing to send his clearance header from a left-wing cross into a central area was a risk he wouldn’t have survived had Finn Azaz made his presence felt against Callum Styles. Instead, the West Brom midfielder was afforded the space to hopefully hook his pass into the box.
Dara O’Shea was culpable in letting Barnabás Varga drift the wrong side of him, offering time to angle his shot beyond Kelleher, but Doherty’s slowness in pushing up kept him onside.
That early concession silenced what was a boisterous home crowd, feasting on the frenzy around the start of a qualifying campaign.
Azaz almost reignited their spirits on nine minutes with Ireland’s first chance. Jake O’Brien produced the opening by raiding from deep down the right but Azaz could only connect his studs with the delivery, spinning the ball wide.
Hungary signalled their intent again by Varga flashing a free header wide at the back post but they were gifted a corner that led to their second. Confusion between Collins and Doherty resulted in the latter conceding the corner and the pair were all at sea again from Dominik Szoboszlai’s deadball.
His out-swinging corner was pinpointed precisely for Roland Sallai to dart across the pair and angle his header into Kelleher’s far corner.
Two goals down against a side so comfortable in possession – with Szoboszlai performing the quarter-back role by receiving the ball straight from goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz – looked ominous for Ireland.
Doherty dragged a shot wide and Evan Ferguson saw his snapshot saved and it appeared Ireland’s plot for a response was channelling the plan to O’Brien on overlapping runs.
Kelleher had to be alert approaching the break to cut out a cross into the path of Sallai as Ireland’s vulnerabilities were again exposed.
Rather than hook Doherty or any teammate at the break, the same XI were implored to rescue the mission in the second half.
Ferguson drawing a foul by Attila Szalai triggered a booking for the defender but also the opportunity for Ryan Manning to unleash a free-kick.
Once Dénes Dibusz parried the curling free, it offered a glimpse for Ireland to pounce. Headers by Sammie Szmodics and Collins in the box eventually fell to Ferguson, who chested the ball down and smashed it home from close range.
Relief in the crowd at cutting the arrears upgraded to euphoria when Sallai’s rush of blood manifested in raking his studs onto the ankle of Dara O’Shea. He mightn’t have connected fully but VAR was never going to overturn the decision, giving Ireland the numerical advantage for the final 35 minutes. “I’m not happy with the player’s attitude for reacting like this,” admitted Hungary boss Marco Rossi afterwards.
Still susceptible on the break, Ireland allowed Bendegúz Bolla two chances around the hour mark, the first saved by Kelleher and second arced wide.
At the other end, both centre-backs O’Shea and Collins nodded off-target as the pressure mounted.
Dibusz denied both Azaz and Manning late on but a flurry of corners belatedly struck gold as Idah soared into the air to plant his downward header beyond the stranded goalkeeper.
IRELAND: C Kelleher; J O’Brien, N Collins, D O’Shea, M Doherty (J Taylor 67); J Cullen (C Ogbene 67), J Knight (K McAteer 88); S Szmodics (M Johnston 78), F Azaz (A Idah 78), R Manning; E Ferguson.
HUNGARY: D Dibusz; L Nego, A Szalai, W Orbán; B Bolla (A Mocsi 67), R Sallai, C Styles, M Kerkez (Z Nagy 80); D Szoboszlai, A Tóth (B Otvos 55); B Varga (B Toth 80).
Referee: Harm Osmers (GER)
Attendance: 50,137