World Cup qualifiers: Rep of Ireland 2 (Ferguson 49, Idah 90+3) Hungary 2 (Varga 2, Sallai 15)
Adam Idah to the rescue. It took until the 93rd minute for Swansea City’s new signing to climb the highest and head a Ryan Manning cross past the heroic Hungarian goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz.
It was the Republic of Ireland’s 22nd attempt on Dibusz’s goal.
Ten-man Hungary were finally reeled in. A draw snatched from the jaws of defeat will not look good in the cold light of day, but try telling the 50,137 attendance at the Aviva that they didn’t get their money’s worth from this opening World Cup qualifier.
Hungary appeared to have ruined Ireland’s latest dream of featuring at a major tournament with goals in the opening 15 minutes from Barnarbas Varga and Roland Sallai.
The great Irish revival, all guts and effort to avoid a humiliating defeat in Dublin, began four minutes into the second half when Evan Ferguson evaded Willi Orbán. The grizzled Leipzig defender cut down the Roma teenager. Yellow card and a chance for Manning to curve a ball into the box.
As the big men jockeyed for position, Manning whipped his angled free-kick towards the top corner. Dibusz parried to Sammie Szmodics who nodded across the goalmouth for Nathan Collins to fling his large frame and skittle three Hungarians before Ferguson’s scuffed finish made it 2-1.
Benjamin Brand, the German VAR official, could not find a foul among the chaos, so the goal stood.
After Ireland’s disastrous start, the Lansdowne roar was clearing its throat.
Evan Ferguson scores Ireland’s first goal. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Come the 52nd minute, Hungary had no option but to park the bus when Sallai was sent off for a reckless challenge on Dara O’Shea.
Dibusz seemed unbeatable, denying Finn Azaz with a one-handed save before blocking Chiedozie Ogbene’s volley. Corner after corner rained down on the Ferencvaros goalkeeper, who stubbornly refused to wilt.
Hungary only needed one minute and 52 seconds to severely damage Ireland’s latest tilt at returning to a World Cup.
Count them, 112 seconds of error and hesitation led by Collins invited Varga to score his ninth international goal.
By the 15th minute of this tumultuous contest, any aspirations of returning to America for a World Cup, 32 years after beating Italy in Giants Stadium and reaching the Last 16 at USA ’94, seemed further away than ever when Sallai leapt higher than Collins to make it 2-0 from a Dominik Szoboszlai corner.
“Criticise what we are trying to do,” said Heimir Hallgrímsson last week during an informal presentation of the non-negotiables he expects from his team. After 14 months in the job, with 10 friendlies and Nations League games trained towards ensuring Ireland hit the ground running, the opening night seemed like a bust.
Roland Sallai celebrates scoring Hungary’s second goal. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Ireland initially played like nerves had scrambled their brains. Their Icelandic coach believed they were ready to become the “most organised, hardest-working set piece” experts in Europe.
None of that was apparent in the opening exchanges.
Remarkably, Collins repeatedly fluffed his lines. The skipper’s uncertainty in possession when he booted two balls out of play seemed to impact the entire team.
The 24-year-old Brentford captain is an established Premier League defender who has been prone to the odd error in a green shirt. But his diagonal ball from kick-off was too high for Jake O’Brien and a wild pass sailed over Ferguson’s head and out of play.
Inside 80 seconds, Collins hooked a third clearance for a Hungary throw and that’s when Marco Rossi’s side sensed the panic and pounced.
After Matt Doherty headed clear, the ball fell between Ireland’s Finn Azaz and Hungary’s Callum Styles on the edge of the box. Styles clipped it back into the area where O’Shea lost a yard on Varga.
Caoimhín Kelleher could only flap at the Ferencvaros striker’s close-range finish.
Sammie Szmodics reacts to a missed chance. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Ireland eventually settled with Azaz and then Szmodics making awful connections as both efforts dribbled wide.
Milos Kerkez almost created a second goal for Varga before Sallai glanced Szoboszlai’s corner beyond Kelleher. Collins did not see Sallai’s movement before the Galatasaray player beat him in the air.
Josh Cullen kept the crowd tuned-in with some full-blooded challenges as it became apparent that Ferguson had just two touches in the opening half hour.
Kelleher’s alertness following a slip by Doherty ensured Ireland did not trail 3-0 at half-time.
As the first-half injury-time ticked away, O’Shea launched a ball towards Ferguson, who held off Orbán, chested it down and stung the fingers of Dibusz.
The second-half was a roller-coaster ride from pillar to post as Ireland pounded the south end before Idah salvaged a point that may not be enough come November’s return tie in Budapest.
REP OF IRELAND: Kelleher; O’Brien, O’Shea, Collins, Doherty (Ogbene 66); Knight (McAteer 90), Cullen (Taylor 66); Azaz (Idah 78), Szmodics (Johnston 78), Manning; Ferguson.
HUNGARY: Dibusz; Négo, Orbán, A Szalai, Kerkez (Nagy 80); Styles; Sallai, Szoboszlai, A Tóth (Otvos 55), Bolla (Mocsi 67); Varga (B Tóth 80).
Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany).