Competition: Nation’s League (Second Tier)
Date: 7 September 2024
Result: Ireland 0 – 2 England
Tickets: (apparently over €100 each for quite a lot of the normal tickets – but for us, included in our season tickets)
Attendance: 50,359
Game/ Experience Rating: ☆☆☆☆
The Game: This, of course, is a bitter rivalry, and the atmosphere reflected it, with relentless abuse directed to the England side… for about half an hour. England looking unaffected, truthfully. In fact, their dominance was substantial, with Ireland struggling to get decent posession, and there was something particularly galling for Ireland fans about the two former Irish players Declan Rice and Jack Grealish – the latter off a great passing move centred around Rice – scoring the two goals.
The booing was relentless (the irony of the like of James McLean also having played for different national teams when they were younger apparently lost on the home fans), but England under Carsley look a substantially better side than Ireland under their new Icelandic boss. The second half was disappointing, though England went close again. Ireland most frustratingly don’t really have any bite. In a game like this, they should. Still, a lively if one-sided experience.
The ground: The Aviva is rarely as lively at it was in the opening stages of this game, and then flat as anything. Plenty of Irish fans stayed under the stand well into the second half (I know, because the little lad decided he needed a loo trip). From lively to sedate in no time.
Extras: €10 for a programme seemed a bit much, I have to be honest. It’s a fairly basic programme at that.
Assorted asides: I had to keep my head down as an Englishman in an Ireland shirt (I’m an Ireland regular, going to easily two thirds of home games). While I only saw very minor verbal agro, I’m not sure allowing home and away fans to arrive down the same narrow route next to the river into the south/ west stand is a very clever idea.
My totals for the year so far:
Games: 9. Home wins: 2 Draws: 4 Away wins: 3
Goals: 24. Home goals: 11. Away goals: 13. Goals per game: 2.67
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