Dara O’Shea, Jack Taylor and Chieo Ogbene added to their caps as the Republic of Ireland beat 10-man Armenia 1-0 in Dublin to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive.
It had been a dull, uninspiring game - and Irish performance - until Armenia were reduced in number in the 52nd minute when their skipper Tigran Barseghyan, headbutted Southampton’s Finn Azaz.
Soon after, O’Shea, winning his 39th full cap playing on the left of a back three, was just unable to follow-up Nathan Collins’s header off the bar at a tight angle on the right.
Then on 58 the Town skipper flicked a header across goal from a corner on the right which looked destined for the corner of the net until Armenia keeper Henri Avagyan brilliantly saved, the visitors’ number one also blocking Collins’s rebound.
Chieo Ogbene, on loan from Town to Sheffield United for the season, came on in the 65th minute to win his 28th cap and five minutes later one-time Blues target Evan Ferguson headed the game’s only goal.
Taylor came off the bench in the 81st minute to win his eighth full cap and a combination of disjointed Irish attacking play and some remarkable goalkeeping from Avagyan kept the scoreline at 1-0.
Kasey McAteer was an unused sub, while Sammie Szmodics pulled out of the squad due to injury following the 3-1 derby victory over Norwich City.
The win moves Ireland up to third in the group, a point behind second-placed Hungary, who drew 2-2 with leaders Portugal in Lisbon this evening, with two matches to play.