WE’RE IN DUBLIN for the visit of Turkey.
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Ireland 1-2 Turkey
Hello, and welcome to today’s liveblog.
We’ll have the team news for you shortly. Kick-off is 6pm.
The teams are in…
Ireland: Elliot, Coleman, O’Shea, Delaney, Ward, Wilson, Whelan, McGeady, Hoolahan, McClean, Long.
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So Newcastle United goalkeeper Rob Elliot gets rewarded for missing his stag party in Las Vegas with his first senior cap. The 28-year-old will have a defence of Seamus Coleman, captain John O’Shea, Damien Delaney and Stephen Ward in front of him.
The midfield looks like being a Stoke partnership of Marc Wilson and Glenn Whelan with James McClean and Aiden McGeady on the wings while Wes Hoolahan will support Shane Long in attack.
In the place of injured Atletico Madrid attacker Arda Turan and his magnificent beard, former Liverpool loanee Nuri Sahin captains the visitors tonight.
15 years ago, these two teams faced off in a two-legged play-off to a spot at Euro 2000. It didn’t end well for Mick McCarthy’s side who went out on away goals.
We take a look back at Big Cas getting in a spot of bother here.
The anthems are out of the way so let’s get this show on the road.
After a moment’s silence for those who passed away in the Turkish mine disaster, Turkey kick off and are immediately on the attack.
Elliot is called into action straight away with a save down to his right before Delaney and Whelan get their wires crossed and give away possession — which leads to a strike from Ahmet Ilhan Ozek that goes high and wide.
Early claims for a penalty turned away by referee Ruddy Buquet. The Hull striker is played in by McGeady and gets the wrong side of Omer Toprak before going down under a challenge.
Replays show a coming together but it’s a hard one to call and actually looks to be just outside the box anyway.
The home side are stringing a few passes together now and McGeady finds himself in a good position to cross on the right. It is cleared as far as Hoolahan, who is crowded out and lays off to Stephen Ward.
The full-back takes the strike on and isn’t far from finding the bottom corner.
Ireland earn a free-kick 30 yards out on the left-hand side of the goal and it’s McGeady to take.
It falls to Shane Long, but his effort is brilliantly saved by Onur Recep Kivrak. Hoolahan flings the ball back in and O’Shea diverts it goalward but there’s a Turkish defender well-placed on the line to clear.
GOAL! Ireland 0-1 Turkey (Ahmet Ilhan Ozek)
After that chance for Ireland, they fall a goal down. Gokhan Gonul curls a delightful cross into the danger zone and Ahmet gets a strong header to beat Elliot, who gets a hand to the ball but can’t keep it out.
A well-taken goal by Ahmet and his second in three senior internationals. The striker plays his club football with Karabukspor.
Turkey have just made an early change with Selcuk Inan coming off injured for Oguzhan Ozyakup.
McGeady sends in another free-kick from a similar position to the one minutes ago and Hoolahan rises highest but Kivrak collects easily.
That’s a smashing bit of play by McGeady. The Everton winger skips by Caner Erkin and whips in a cross. McClean arrives late and makes contact but heads off-target.
Gokhan Gonul is receiving treatment but seems fine to continue playing. Ireland substitutes Jon Walters, David Meyler and Stephen Quinn are all out warming up now. We will surely see some if not all of that trio in the second half.
Two big chances for Ireland in quick succession. First, McClean drives to the end line and pulls the ball back for Long. It’s slightly behind him, however, and he can only attempt a flick which hasn’t got enough on it.
Then McGeady provides for McClean but Kivrak saves a decent volley.
Ireland have strung 20-odd passes together in the past couple of minutes but it eventually amounts to nothing as Ward gives the ball away. Two minutes of added time to be played before the interval.
Half-time: Ireland 0-1 Turkey
We’re back and the second half has begun.
Turkey have made their third substitution. Bilal Kisa has been replaced by Ozan Tufan.
Turkey playing the ball around nicely and earn themselves a corner off McGeady. Ireland deal with the set-piece and send it clear.
Wilson gives the ball away, then takes the legs from Tufan — who is only on the field. The Stoke man has done okay in the middle so far but he does look more comfortable in the backline.
Ireland guilty of failing to find team-mates with a couple of scrappy passes but then manage to produce some good play to find Hoolahan in an advanced position. He chips to McGeady on the edge of the box but there are three defenders in front of him and the shot is snuffed out.
Wilson steps over a free-kick 40 yards out and opts to pass to McGeady who is wide right. His cross isn’t a bad one but doesn’t find a man in green.
Down the other end, Damien Delaney has put in an excellent block. from Erdinc.
Olcan Adin is on for Hakan Calhanoglu while Walters, Meyler and Daryl Murphy are all stripped and ready to be introduced.
Here we go… It’s Meyler for Delaney, Walters for Long and Murphy takes McGeady’s place.
That sees Wilson move back to centre-half, Meyler takes his place in the middle and Murphy is up front alongside Walters.
The new man are immediately involved but Meyler skies a shot from 20 yards out.
Murphy then cuts inside from the right and and switches the play to Whelan, who rolls the ball back to Ward. The full-back’s cross is poor though and Kirvak collects.
Turkey make another substitution — Erdinc makes way for Tarik Camdel.
GOAL! Ireland 0-2 Turkey (Tarik Camdal)
Jeers ring out from the crowd as they want an Ireland penalty for Toprak’s pull on Hoolahan.
Turkey go down the other end and a neat passage of play results in substitute Tarik rifling a shot high past Elliot.
GOAL! Ireland 1-2 Turkey (Jon Walters)
The deficit is back to one as Ireland respond almost immediately. Walters controls a chipped pass, cuts inside his man and blasts the ball home.
Stephen Quinn has just been introduced for Whelan. Eight minutes on the clock.
Umpteenth substitution of the night for the away side. Ishak Dogan is on with Nuri Sahin going the other way.
McClean gets away past Erkin and drills the ball onto the head of Murphy. The Ipswich man directs it on goal but it’s too central and Kivrak has no trouble saving.
Official attendance here tonight is 25,191, which is a little over half the 42,000 who showed up last week for Shamrock Rovers v Liverpool.
Three minutes of added time to be played.
Turkey have a shot on goal through Olcan Adin who shoots straight at Elliot.
Not sure if Ireland will have time to get another chance.
Full-time: Turkey 2-1 Ireland
So the first of four summer friendlies ends in defeat. Next up for Ireland is Italy in Craven Cottage next Saturday before Costa Rica and Portugal await in the US.
As the performance suggests, O’Neill has got plenty of work to do to get this squad ready for September’s Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Thanks for joining me!
