Czech Republic v Republic Of Ireland. 

 Ireland have been on a bit of a bad run of late and this was the perfect opportunity for Teabag to get us back on track...

against a Czech side who had humped Armenia and got a respectable draw against Wales and were looking to avenge themselves against an Ireland team who beat them in the reverse fixture.  They lined up in a 4-5-1 (defensive) formation and really looked like they were looking going to try and shut up shop and maybe catch Ireland in the break.  Ireland also lined up in a defensive formation and played a defensive 4-4-2.

Teabag rang the changes and dropped some of the lads who were not performing (and some who were) from the last few outings in the hope that the re-jigged squad would bring something different to the table, like three points J.  An Irish win would guarantee qualification for the championships, a draw or loss, would see us looking for Poland to win to maintain the slender one (or two with the draw) point gap between us and Armenia.

With Ireland knowing what they needed to do, the lads took to the pitch with the voice of the manager Delia-esque ringing in their ears “Where are you? Let's be having you! Come on Ireland!".  The lads started brightly, testing the Czech keeper with a cracking first time shot from R. Ó Raighne after he had a sweet ball played into him from King.  Unfortunately the Eagle was wide awake to the danger and he made a great save diving low and to his left to stop the goal bound effort.  Only a minute later and Ireland were on the attack again when Glynn had a free kick opportunity from the edge of the box, the ball went perfectly over the wall and was dipping with the keeper stationery and with no chance, but it was not to be as the ball hit the underside of the bar and bounced away.  On 4 minutes Ireland found themselves with another good chance to get the ball into the Czech box but the corner from Glynn failed to beat the first defender and J. "Cimrman" Fadrný headed clear easily.

That period of sustained pressure was to be about as good as it got for Ireland though.  D. McDermott (better get his link in early, will not have another chance during this commentary J) must have been slightly annoyed at M. Vařák who nutmegged him, then put the ball back through his legs again just to annoy him, then he continued with a couple of stopovers and proceeded to juggle the ball on his knee, alll the while taunting the young Irishman.  A more experienced campaigner may have just stood his man up but not he - Eric Cantona would have been proud of the kung fu style challenge, which if it had connected properly, would have taken Varak’s head off. The young lad did not help himself by standing over his writhing opponent pointing and snarling what he would do to him in the dressing room after the game.  The ref really did have little choice and he sent Daragh off after 5 minutes.

Strange fumble from the officials next, as Ó Raighne was tactically withdrawn, but not replaced by a defender. After that Ireland were always going to be in trouble and the Czechs almost scored with their next attack, only The Cat saving Ireland from a double whammy of a sending off and going a goal down.They continued to pummel the Irish defence but the back four stood resolute to a man and those few attacks that did manage to breach the Irish back line were easily cleaned up by The Cat.  Ireland were all at sea and they could not even string two passes together with D. McCartan , T. King and M. "The Kid" Simpson all sending passes astray, piling more pressure as the Czechs were handed the ball again and again, allowing them plenty of opportunities to run at and behind the Irish defence.

It was to be Varak who was the catalyst: running behind the Irish back line and playing a ball back across the box at about waist height right to V. Hrdina, who was coming in like a train and completely unmarked. He made no mistake, sending the ball wide of the onrushing Cat with the sweetest of volleys.  It was a deserved lead and the Irish were visibly deflated, but Teabag wind milling his arms on the sideline seemed to have the desired effect and the boys in green regained a bit of their self belief.  Except for Mc Cartan who received the ball from the tip and tried to play somebody in, unfortunately for him and Ireland, nobody was on the same wavelength and he hit the ball as hard as he could “Crossbar challenge styley”.  J. štiller could not believe his luck as the ball was played straight to him and he immediately went on the attack, playing a sweet ball to T. "Kojda" Kojecký who played it on first time to J. Kovačík.  He settled the ball and with the defence coming on to him, jinked left and stuck a sweet shot into the top left hand corner.   This completely wrong footed The Cat and all but ended the game as a contest, as the knackered Irish players once again let their heads drop.  There was not much that Teabag could really do and he was just hoping that with 10 minutes to go to the half, Ireland would not concede any more goals.

Ireland continued to get the ball and throw it straight back to the Czechs who were only too happy to take it and attack the Irish again.  Thankfully the half time whistle arrived and Teabag got the tired Irish boys into the dressing room where they were all heard to kneel in prayer. 

“Jack Charlton who art in England,
Long Ball be thy game,
thy World cup come,
thy wins will come,
by kicking the ball to the heavens”

And so it was decided that Ireland would try to cut out the midfield in the second half and knock the ball straight from the defence into the Czech box.  Hopefully this approach would give Ireland a bit more and maybe get the two goals that we needed to get back into the game.

The second half was a dour affair: with Ireland banging long ball after long ball and the Czechs bringing it on, but losing it to the Irish defence, who were often overrun but did manage to cut out each attack.  The only Czech attacks of note were a free kick which scraped the top of the bar and an excellent header from T. "Kojda" Kojecký after a Kovacivik (or something like that) cross which was saved by an equally good stop by the Cat.  It looked all over for the boys in green but Glynn had not given up and he swung a great ball into the box for King who dived at it and got a good header on the ball, but could not beat the rarely tested V. "Eagle" Eberl.

2-0 then it ended and the only good thing about the night was that Armenia did not manage a win against Poland.   Unfortunately the MoM was not from the Irish team and really it could not have been with our new DR I. Duignan getting a three, our DL P. Mccauley getting a three and the man who only lasted 5 mins on the pitch getting a three.  M. Vařák was MoM, he was not on the score sheet but he stopped virtually every Irish attack and played it simple from the midfield to his more creative players who did the damage.