Republic of Ireland 0-1 Ukraine
The Nations League was meant to be the competition that showcased - or at least cemented the belief - that Ireland were going places under Stephen Kenny.
Instead, they were brought to the cleaners for the second time in a week and even his supporters are entitled to wonder where it’s all going?
And not just because this defeat followed hot on the heels of Saturday’s debacle in Armenia, but more so the nature of the performance.
Again, Ireland were devoid of imagination in the final third. Despite good positions, it was like Kenny’s attackers were trying to shift a medicine ball with their feet.
Laboured and careless, they failed to work Real Madrid’s back-up goalkeeper, Andriy Lunin, until he got fingertips to a trademark Shane Duffy header late on.
Duffy even attempted an acrobatic scissors kick deep in injury-time, and the moment just encapsulated the sheer desperation of it all.
So, too, Jason Knight sinking to his knees as his shot at the death took flight as it cleared the crossbar and then some.
With 40,111 in attendance, Aviva Stadium was comfortably shy of its 51,000-capacity and a smattering of fans made their way for the exits early.
By no means was it supporters voting with their feet, as Kenny has enough good will in the bank to see that off.
And there were renditions of ‘There’s Only One Stephen Kenny’ from the South Stand before time was up, but half-hearted at best.
The positive vibes the team gained in late 2021 are starting to evaporate and Kenny is suddenly transported back to a place he hoped he had seen the last of.
At half-time, The Stunning’s ‘Brewing Up A Storm’ blared around the stadium.
He will be walking into another if Ireland make it a hat-trick of defeats on Saturday against Scotland.
Just as they did in Armenia, Ireland played in waves. But once again they lacked conviction and composure in the final third having got into threatening positions.
Still, the manner of their start certainly augured well. Knight, on his return to the side for Troy Parrott, was full of divilment in that period.
He fired off an early shot too, when John Egan found him with a lovely outside-of-the-boot pass in behind the visiting defence.
Maybe this was a glimpse of the “win-and-at-all-costs” approach that Chiedozie Ogbene spoke about leaving Republican Stadium last Saturday night.
It was certainly up-and-at-em, but alas it wouldn’t last as Ukraine gained a foothold in the game and were the better side leading into the break.
Like Knight, Ogbene was full of energy too. A little too much perhaps as his enthusiasm got the better of him with poor decision making a hallmark of his play.
Particularly so midway through the half when, having outmuscled Oleksandr Syrota, he delayed a pass to Callum Robinson and had to go it alone with no joy.
Robinson later saw a penalty appeal correctly waved away when he went down easily after Valeriy Bondar toe-poked the ball from under him.
Up to then, Ukraine were limited to wild shots from distance.
But the visitors - showing 10 changes from the side beaten by Wales in Sunday’s World Cup playoff final - soon got on top.
Josh Cullen and Jeff Hendrick were under enormous pressure in midfield and ended up playing so deep that they were smothering Ireland’s three-man defence.
That in turn left huge gaps to Ireland’s attacking players, and by now the game plan was starting to malfunction.
Long balls were pumped forward and even when they found attacking players, the moves broke down as Ireland struggled to retain the ball.
And before the break, Ireland were spared by VAR when Taras Kacharaba's exquisite goal - after mugging Knight - was chalked off for an offside in the build-up.
But three minutes into the second-half, Ukraine survived a VAR check to take the lead when a free-kick from the touchline deceived everyone and crept in.
Egan conceded the free and then he and Duffy failed to clear Viktor Tsygankov’s whipped effort, as the half-time sub scored with his first touch of the game.
But goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher - starting his fourth Ireland game in a row - wasn’t too clever either as Ireland’s rearguard clubbed together in its culpability.
Egan’s night was cooked soon after when he shipped an injury on the hour that could yet rule him out of Saturday’s clash here with Scotland. Dara O’Shea replaced him.
Ireland emptied the bench - with CJ Hamilton handed a debut - and finished the stronger side with Duffy crashing a header off the bar, via Andriy Lunin’s fingertips.
But it all smacked of desperation in a game where Ireland were comfortably second best.
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