Ukraine 1-1 Ireland
A star was born here in Lodz as Nathan Collins scored an Irish goal for the ages in an edge-of-your-seat, swashbuckling thriller with Ukraine.
More’s the pity that the Burnley centre-back’s outside-of-the-boot finish, after a slaloming run into the box from deep, wasn’t the winning goal.
The Nations League is at the lower end of international football’s food chain, but in splendid isolation the goal was every bit as iconic as some of Ireland’s greats.
Ray Houghton, Ronnie Whelan, Robbie Keane, Robbie Brady and Shane Long already know that feeling and Collins is now part of that discussion.
Ireland will take tremendous confidence not just from the draw, but from the nature of their impressive performance for the second game running.
An international window that had all the hallmarks of an unfolding crisis a week ago, is now the launchpad Stephen Kenny and his players had hoped for.
It was a brilliantly entertaining, see-saw encounter that kept the 10,641 fans captivated throughout and Ireland were good value for their point, if not quite foot perfect.
The defending was resolute, even if James McClean will be kicking himself for allowing Andriy Yarmolonko cross for Artem Dovbyk’s equaliser early in the second-half.
Midfield functioned well, with Josh Cullen showing no effects from starting his fourth game in the space of 10 days.
The only criticism levelled at the Boys in, well, Orange, was that they could have been sharper in and around the box.
Troy Parrott had a good game but had he shifted the ball quicker from his feet on occasion, he may have had personal joy.
And despite closing out the game by pinning Ukraine deep, subs Callum Robinson and Chiedozie Ogbene lacked penetration and conviction.
With seven changes from the side that won in Dublin last week, Ukraine wheeled out their star attractions like Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko and West Ham’s Yarmolenko.
But although Ireland were under the cosh early on with Caoimhin Kelleher denying Rusian Malinovskyi and Everton’s Vitaliy Mykolenko with smart saves, Kenny’s men never panicked.
Ireland’s back three quickly became a back five when they were on the retreat and Collins, Darragh Lenihan - on his competitive debut - and Dara O’Shea were all dab hands at tidying up even if some of it was a little scrambled.
In possession, Ireland always looked capable of inflicting damage with Parrott almost clipping an early cross in under the crossbar before later squandering a free header.
So it was no fluke, or against the run of play, when Ireland took the lead in the 32nd minute.
Collins intercepted a ball intended for striker Artem Dovbyk and the big centre half set off on a galloping run from midway inside the Ukrainian half.
But not only that, there was tremendous purpose and conviction in his intentions. Luka Modric, with all his flair and grace, could not have executed the run and shot any better.
Collins sped past two challenges and then turned Mykola Matviyenko on the edge of the box before carrying on and finishing with the outside of his boot to score his first international goal in sensational style.
Obafemi’s thumping goal against Scotland was laced with wow factor but this, albeit an entirely different kind of goal, was every bit as good if not better.
And Collins peeled away to celebrate scarcely believing what he had just executed to perfection.
But Ukraine were level inside two minutes of the second-half with Collins and Lenihan guilty, this time, of a lapse in concentration.
Ukraine skipper Yarmolenko beat the offside trap - as well as a VAR check - and picked a pass through McClean for Dovbyk to tap home unmarked at the back post after Collins and Lenihan failed to keep tabs on the big striker.
Ireland took the game to Ukraine in the final thoes, and might have nicked it had Robinson and Ogbene more about them.
But this performance still ticked all the boxes following on from Saturday’s demolition of Scotland.
The travelling fans sang "There's only one Stephen Kenny" after the final whistle and it’s onwards and upwards for the Ireland boss.
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