Estonia 0-4 Ireland
Start making plans for Poland and the Ukraine next summer because Ireland have all but qualified for their first major tournament in ten years.
Even the most optimistic of Irish supporters couldn’t have envisaged what eventually transpired at Le Coq arena as Ireland built up a nigh-on unassailable lead ahead of the second leg at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday.
Keith Andrews, Jonathan Walters and Robbie Keane (2) were all on the scoresheet on what was a fabulous night for Ireland and a calamitous one for Estonia, who had two men sent off to compound their misery on a night where everything that could go wrong went wrong.
We’ll hold our hands up, we’ve been critical of Andrews in the past, but we were full of admiration when he got the ball rolling for Trap’s Army with a perfectly timed run to get on the end of Aiden McGeady’s cross and nod the ball to the back of the net to put Ireland ahead after 13 minutes.
If that was good, it got even better for Ireland after 35 minutes when Stepanov was given a second yellow card for upending Robbie Keane after he was sold short from a horrendous pass from Dmitrijev.
As has often been the case in the past, Ireland weren’t exactly comfortable against ten men and for a while, it looked as if Estonia might just sneak their way back into it.
Such fears were eased not long after the hour mark when Jonathan Walters, sporting one of the finest handlebar moustaches ever seen in a sporting arena, justified his selection with Ireland’s second goal, a scruffy header from close range after Robbie Keane’s effort on goal looped fortuitously to the Stoke man at the far post.
At this stage, Ireland sensed blood and they had their third goal with 20 minutes to go. Andrews struck a powerful free-kick towards goal but Pareiko should have done far better than ease the ball into the path of a grateful Robbie Keane, who was never going to pass up an open goal from three yards out.
Three nil up and with qualification assured, it was party time and the extremely vocal Irish fans certainly lapped it up in Tallinn. But, we weren’t finished yet.
With 15 minutes left, Estonia were reduced to nine men after Piroja was given a second yellow card for a deliberate handball and the hosts went into freefall. Their misery was made complete when Keane scored his second and Ireland’s fourth from the penalty spot after livewire substitute Stephen Hunt was crudely clipped in the penalty area.
The Irish fans, players and management were jubilant after the final whistle and why not. We’re on our way to our first major tournament in ten years and the last decade without one has seemed like a lifetime.
John Delaney was there too, making himself the centre of attention as usual, but thankfully he kept his tie on him this time.
Only the miracle of all miracles will put an end to our Euro 2012 dream at the Aviva on Tuesday night, but hey, we’re not here to play the spoilsport.
Let’s party.
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