Estonia with a good move, ball out wide to the left, passed back in, over the bar from outside the box, with a deflection. Corner, but Given handles easily. 12 mins gone.
Cross from McGeady on the left, Andrews with a glancing header past the keeper into the far corner. Estonia with a good attack but Dunne marks tight and Given handles easily.
Cross from Estonia on the right, Kelly beaten all ends up on the other side of the box, but shot off target.
McGeady fouled running up the middle. 30 yards from goal. Yellow for Estonia. Training ground move almost comes off, but Walters blasts over from the penalty spot. Difficult position to be fair.
Estonia with another long range shot. They better have more arrows in their quiver, because maybe only one has tested Given.
Stepanov off for a second yellow. Fouled Keane. Last man, maybe even a straight red. Ref chooses a yellow, but same result. Estonia down to 10 men. 35 mins. Whelan just misses the moon with the resultant free. Stepanov a center half.
Andrews fouls 12 yards outside the area. Needless foul. But the free comes to Row Q behind the Irish goal. 43 mins.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVKjC_simy8"]mc fadden and whitehead-ain't no stoppin' us - YouTube[/ame]
Ireland 4-0 Estonia Whump! http://www.google.com/search?q=poli...AQ&biw=819&bih=445&sei=87e9TszpGqjH0AGtzajnBA http://www.google.com/search?q=poli...&ei=Wbi9TuyOJ-bZ0QHPw-XABA&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QsAQ http://www.google.com/search?q=poli...AQ&biw=819&bih=445&sei=kLi9TuqjKera0QGOqqizBA http://www.google.com/search?q=poli...AQ&biw=819&bih=445&sei=9Lm9TqOSNsXj0QGe_rTpBA http://www.google.com/search?q=poli...AQ&biw=819&bih=445&sei=g7m9TvDmB4jh0QGihcjbBA "Na zdrowie!"
Re: Ireland 4-0 Estonia Fair's fair. Trappatoni got it very right tonight. So right that you almost felt sorry for Estonia.
Re: Ireland 4-0 Estonia Fixed. Great result, it would take a catastrophe now for us to not get to our first Euros in 24 years. Shame I won't be able to go to it, but delighted nonetheless!
Re: Ireland 4-0 Estonia Two incidents in the 1st half which showed good homework and a different attitude. 1. A few times McGeady cut inside and ran directly at the center of defense, targeting the center halves as the weak link. As it proved. Odd for an out and out winger. Good homework there. 2. Andrews' goal was odd because he's rarely if ever allowed as far forward as the 6 yard box. But Trappatoni obviously felt they were there for the taking, and unleashed the hounds. Something he rarely does. BTW, Father Ted, you've been warned by the font and arbiter of all Irishness. You've been warned.
What do we expect for Tuesday? For me, it's a bit surreal - the team don't even need a result, just to keep the score down. Maybe a bit like when Ireland played Malta in 1989 to qualify for the 1990 World Cup? Will the team produce a relaxed, fluent attacking performance, or will it be a case of "what we have we hold" with the match possibly petering out to a 0-0 draw?