Match report - Russia vs Ireland

Euro '04 Qualifier

Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow
7 September 2002

Mick McCarthy was surprised as much as disappointed by the way his team defended as they crashed to the heaviest defeat of his 68 games in charge over the past six years. It was the first time a Republic team had conceded four goals since losing 4-1 to Denmark in a 1985 World Cup qualifier and it got Ireland's Euro 2004 Group 10 qualifying campaign off to the worst possible start.

Afterwards, the Irish manager admitted: "It's been a bad day at the office for us in terms of defending. That's not us. We don't start like that normally. We usually go forward and play at a high tempo to pen them in. I'm disappointed with the goals we've conceded. We don't normally concede goals like that. We came here to try to win the game and we believed we could but we gave a poor goal away and suddenly found ourselves two down. After that we were taking chances and chasing the game but we had to do that. I would sooner sit here having lost 4-2 and given it a good go than not give it a go."

Following the recent highs of Japan and Helsinki, the Republic of Ireland were brought back down to earth with a thumping 4-2 defeat at the hands of chief European Championship Group 10 rivals Russia in Moscow. Ireland looked disjointed all over the park as they failed to recapture the heady heights of Ibaraki and Yokahomo, and there was a sense of inevitability to this result when the home side struck twice in five minutes early on to grasp the initiative.

Substitute Gary Doherty headed home within four minutes of his introduction to give Ireland a glimmer of hope, but the Russians responded immediately to regain their two-goal cushion. Clinton Morrison, who had been a first-half replacement for the injured Damien Duff, struck back for Ireland after 74 minutes but the unfortunate Phil Babb, a late substitute, could do little as he was outpaced by Alexander Kerzhakov and his saved shot rebounded off the Sunderland defender to complete a miserable afternoon for a disappointing Ireland.

Both sides were poor in defence, but it was Ireland, who hadn't conceded two goals in a competitive match since their 2-2 draw with Holland almost two years ago, who looked the more vulnerable despite starting with a first choice back four of Finnan, Cunningham, Breen and Harte.

Russia, playing for the first time under new coach Valery Gazzayev, went on the attack right from the start, pinning their opponents back in front of a 26,000 crowd at Moscow's Lokomotiv stadium.

Veteran player Viktor Onopko missed a clear chance to open the scoring in the first minute while skipper Sergei Semak also missed an empty goal after a mistake by keeper Shay Given.

In the 15th minute, Ireland full-back Ian Harte was unlucky when his long range effort came off the crossbar but, five minutes later, Russia grabbed the opening goal.

There were ominous signs for McCarthy when striker Damien Duff hobbled off after 18 minutes with an injured thigh.

Within two minutes the home side took the lead, with Finnan guilty of some slack marking as Samara winger Andrei Kariyaka cut inside him before coolly slipping the ball past Shay Given. Things went from bad to worse in the 25th minute when Matt Holland, unconvincing throughout, lost the ball in the centre of midfield.

Four minutes later, Yevgeny Aldonin stole the ball and supplied Dmitry Loskov, who passed on to Beschastnykh as the defence stood back, and the Spartak Moscow striker gave Given little chance as he swept home his 26th international goal, a shot which ended up in the top left corner.

Doherty - who is playing in defence for Tottenham this season – restored Irish belief when he thumped home a 68th minute Harte corner from the left, only for Russia to restore their two-goal advantage a minute later when substitute Alexancder Kerzhakov of Saint Petersburg scored with a diving header. Morrison then ensured a tense finale when he calmly slotted home after 74 following an excellent build up from Mark Kinsella and Finnan, but there was to be no return from the brink this time around as Babb's return to the Irish fold was marred by a ricochet he could do little about five minutes from time.

based in part on material from

Russia: 1 Sergei Ovchinnikov; 2 Gennady Nizhegorodov, 3 Sergei Ignashevich, 4 Yevgeny Aldonin, 5 Sergei Semak (16 Dmitry Khokhlov, 72), 6 Igor Yanovsky, 7 Viktor Onopko, 8 Rolan Gusev (14 Andrei Solomatin, 29), 9 Andrei Karyaka, 10 Dmitry Loskov, 11 Vladimir Beschastnykh (18 Alexander Kerzhakov, 46)
Ireland: 1 Shay Given; 2 Stephen Finnan, 3 Ian Harte, 4 Kenny Cunningham (c), 5 Gary Breen; 6 Matt Holland, 7 Jason McAteer (18 Gary Doherty, 64), 8 Mark Kinsella, 11 Kevin Kilbane (13 Phil Babb, 85); 9 Damien Duff (15 Clinton Morrison, 18), 10 Robbie Keane
Referee: Claude Colombo (France)