Dara O’Shea, Sammie Szmodics and Chiedozie Ogbene started as the Republic of Ireland came from behind to beat Finland 2-1 in a Nations League game in Helsinki, but Jack Taylor is still waiting for his international debut.
Neither side overly impressed in a largely scruffy match with Ogbene probably the pick of the Town players causing the Finnish defence problems with his direct running in the second half. A foul on the wideman led to the free-kick which led to Liam Scales’s headed equaliser on 57, the Finns having gone in front in the 17th minute.
Robbie Brady netted the winner in the 89th minute with Ogbene, who had been wide on the right, and Szmodics, on the left, having been subbed on 80.
O’Shea played the full 90 minutes at right-back, while Taylor was once again left among the unused subs with his long wait for an international debut continuing, the midfielder having first sat on the Irish bench back in 2020 when a Peterborough player.
Taylor will hope to get on the field when Ireland travel to take on Greece in Piraeus on Sunday.
O’Shea has now won 29 caps, Ogbene 23, scoring four times and Szmodics seven.
Meanwhile, academy keeper Woody Williamson was an unused sub as Scotland’s U19s beat Hungary 2-1 in a friendly in Debrecen. The two sides meet again at the same venue on Sunday.
https://x.com/SamSzmodics/status/1844484026477969483