- Internationals
- 4 June 2012, 7:30pm
- Ferenc Puskas Stadion
Hungary | v | Rep of Ireland |
| 0 | 0 |
live commentary
90 mins:FULL TIME HUNGARY 0-0 REP OF IRELAND: The final whistle goes and it has been a good work out for Ireland who improved after the break. Both sides had chances and a draw was probably a fair outcome. A clean sheet, good first half display from Shay Given and positive substitute performances from the likes of Stephen Hunt will have given Giovanni Trapattoni heart going into the Euro 2012 opener against Croatia on Sunday.
90 mins:Almost a last-gasp winner for Hungary as Krisztian Nemeth gets in on goal but a poor finish lets Ireland off the hook.
90 mins:At the other end in the three minutes of injury time and Adam Bogdan gets up well to make a claim under pressure from Jon Walters. Irish shouts of handball are ignored.
90 mins:Balazs Dzsudzsak's poor first touch lets the Irish defence get back to prevent him getting a shot off as Hungary make a late surge.
88 mins:Stephen Hunt over hits his corner and it is picked up by Aiden McGeady on the far side but his cross is headed clear.
87 mins:Hungary make a change now as the clock ticks down to full time with Tamas Koltai on in place of Adam Gyurcso.
86 mins:Norbert Meszaros needs a bit of treatment after falling heavily while preventing Stephen Hunt a scoring chance, but he is okay to carry on.
84 mins:Yet another change for Ireland with Paul Green coming on in place of Glenn Whelan.
83 mins:After all the Ireland pressure Hungary almost break the deadlock as a corner is cleared to Imre Szabics on the edge of the area and his effort leaves Kieron Westwood beaten but Stephen Hunt is perfectly positioned to stop the ball on the line.
81 mins:Another chance for Ireland as Jon Walters flick on from a throw-in fell into the path of Glenn Whelan, but he fired straight at Adam Bogdan.
80 mins:Two quick corners for Ireland again from Stephen Hunt but Hungary manage to clear their lines.
79 mins:A change now for Hungary who are under the cosh at the moment with Krisztian Nemeth on in place of Adam Szalai.
78 mins:Jon Walters spurns Ireland's best chance of the game as he got between the two centre-backs but powered his header wide from another Stephen Hunt cross with Adam Bogdan rooted to the spot.
77 mins:Aiden McGeady plays the ball into Simon Cox and his powerful drive is beaten away by Adam Bogdan.
75 mins:The game is still there for the taking with both sides pressing forwards.
73 mins:Stephen Hunt puts in another flag kick which causes uncertainty in the Hungary area as Glenn Whelan sets up Darron Gibson, but the Everton man blazes his effort over the bar.
71 mins:A decent spell for Ireland as they are holding up the ball while Aiden McGeady wins a corner after a surging run.
69 mins:And another change for Hungary to further upset the flow of the action with Tamas Kadar getting on in place of Peter Halmosi.
68 mins:The numerous changes in these past few minutes has broken up the pattern of play as we still look for a goal which this game warrants.
66 mins:Hungary also make a switch now Imre Szabics on in place of Peter Szakaly.
66 mins:Darron Gibson is now coming on for Ireland in place of Keith Andrews as most of the squad are getting a run out here.
64 mins:Stephen Hunt almost creates a chance with a second quick corner into the area that causes a scramble in the area, before Keith Andrews tees up Jon Walters who drags his shot wide.
63 mins:Ireland make another switch as Damien Duff gets a rest with Stephen Hunt coming on.
62 mins:Adam Bogdan prevents Ireland from taking the lead with a strong arm to divert a fierce low drive from Jon Walters away from goal, while Norbert Meszaros was on hand to slide the rebound away with Simon Cox lurking.
61 mins:Another change for Ireland as Robbie Keane has enjoyed an hour's run out and he is now replaced by West Brom striker Simon Cox.
59 mins:Balazs Dzsudzsak took the free kick but his effort hit the Irish wall before being cleared.
58 mins:Stephen Ward goes into the book now for Ireland as he cynically pulled back Adam Gyurcso on the edge of the box.
56 mins:After Kieron Westwood denied Adam Gyurcso again Ireland won a corner. Damien Duff played it into the centre, Stephen Ward got his head to the ball but Robbie Keane was unable to glance his header into the net from close range.
54 mins:Kieron Westwood takes over where Shay Given left off in the first half as he now denies Hungary with a fine save at full stretch after Adam Szalai looked certain to score after being played in by Balazs Dzsudzsak.
53 mins:Peter Halmosi is allowed time to get a shot across the area and the ball drops to Adam Szalai, whose shot is blocked by Sean St Ledger.
51 mins:Stephen Ward allows Adam Gyurcsoto get past him and through towards goal so is relieved to see his weak effort trickle towards Kieron Westwood.
49 mins:Vladimir Koman tries his luck at goal but it is straight at Kieron Westwood who claims comfortably.
48 mins:Robbie Keane plays a great ball through for Jon Walters but the offside goes up against him. Replays showed it was a harsh decision against the Irish forward.
46 mins:We are back up and running at the Ferenc Puskas stadium and Ireland will no doubt aim to impose themselves in the Hungary half of the pitch this half while the hosts will look to try and be more clinical after spurning several chances in the opening 45 minutes.
46 mins:A couple of changes at the interval for Ireland as Shay Given is taken off having proven his fitness with some key saves. Keiron Westwood is on in his place, while Jon Walters replaces Kevin Doyle.
46 mins:Hungary make a change before the second half with Vilmos Vanczak on in place of Adam Pinter.
45 mins:HALF TIME HUNGARY 0-0 REP OF IRELAND: The whistle blows to end the first half and Hungary will feel they should be ahead after forcing a couple of good saves from Shay Given. Ireland have looked strong in defence and showed some glimpses going forward without really testing Adam Bogdan.
44 mins:Stephen Ward makes two important challenges to deny Hungary before being fouled after preventing Adam Szalai who then fouls the Irish defender with what looked like a clear stamp. The referee fails to show a card but the visitors are handed a free kick.
43 mins:Zsolt Korcsmar is the first player in the book for a professional foul on Kevin Doyle.
41 mins:Vladimir Koman's cross almost plays in Adam Szalai but this time Sean St Ledger keeps his feet and hacks the ball away.
40 mins:A slight lull in the action for the first time really in this game but Hungary are enjoying more of the possession.
38 mins:As we edge towards the interval Hungary will feel they should be in front in this game and Ireland have been given plenty to think about.
36 mins:A chance for Hungary as a slip by Sean St Ledger plays in Adam Szalai on goal but he snatches at his shot and it is straight at Shay Given. He should really have scored in that position.
34 mins:Robbie Keane is barged over and wins a free kick in a decent spot for Ireland. Damien Duff leaves it for Glenn Whelan and he hits his effort well over the top so the chance is wasted.
32 mins:Ireland have been showing some attacking intent in these past few minutes without really testing Adam Bogdan so far.
30 mins:Hungary whip a quick corner into the Irish area which creates a bit of panic before Richard Dunne finally hacks it away to safety.
28 mins:Robbie Keane gets away out wide and whips a cross into the middle for Kevin Doyle, but Adam Bogdan commands his area well to make the claim.
27 mins:Adam Szalai has an effort blocked by the Irish defence as Hungary get forward again, before Balazs Dzsudzsak over hits a cross.
25 mins:If Giovanni Trapattoni wanted a real test ahead of Euro 2012 the Italian can't complain because Hungary have pushed Ireland hard in this opening 25 minutes.
24 mins:Shay Given to the rescue again here as Hungary press in this end-to-end clash as he beats away another effort from Balazs Dzsudzsak, who collected a lay-off from Vladimir Koman.
22 mins:Glenn Whelan plays in Aiden McGeady down the left and he hits the ball to the edge of the area for Kevin Doyle but the ball is cleared before the Wolves man can get his shot off at goal.
21 mins:Hungary have enjoyed a few forays of late but Ireland look strong in defence while Adam Pinter's ball into the area runs through to Shay Given.
19 mins:Shay Given is showing no signs at all that he was struggling with his fitness as that second save was out of the top drawer.
18 mins:An even better save from Shay Given on this occasion as he again denies Balazs Dzsudzsak whose effort took a wicked deflection forcing the shot-stopper to change direction and gets his hand to the ball.
16 mins:Shay Given is now forced to make a save as he gets down well to deny Balazs Dzsudzsak.
15 mins:Robbie Keane picks up a pass from his strike partner Shane Long and lashes a low left-foot strike which Adam Bogdan the Bolton keeper gets down well to save in tricky conditions.
14 mins:Richard Dunne shows his defensive capabilities with a fine challenge on Peter Szakaly who looked set to get through on goal.
12 mins:Robbie Keane gets a half chance but a poor touch let him down and the conditions are not helping matters.
10 mins:Robbie Keane appears to get in the way of Aiden McGeady, who neither passes it or takes it on and the opportunity is wasted.
8 mins:Balazs Dzsudzsak's free kick into the Irish area causes a bit of panic before Glenn Whelan gets it away before Adam Szalai can convert and both players take a moment to compose themselves.
7 mins:A dangerous free kick for Ireland here is knocked out to the right for Damien Duff to whip the cross in and John O'Shea gets on the end of it but his header drops just over the Hungary goal with Adam Bogdan struggling.
5 mins:John O'Shea has also been involved so good to see both men with question marks regarding their fitness getting an early touch in the game.
4 mins:Aiden McGeady produces some trickery out wide and plays the ball to Stephen Ward, but his centre is too close to Adam Bogdan, who gathers.
2 mins:Nothing much to report in the opening minutes of this game on a heavy pitch although an early touch for Shay Given to test his knee.
We are finally up and running in Budapest after a 20 minute delay due to torrential rain as Ireland get one final run-out before the action starts for real at the European Championships in just six days' time when they will go up against the Croatians.
It's a chance for Ireland then to get into gear ahead of Euro 2012 and they will not want to pick up any injuries. The Irish start on the back of a 13-match unbeaten run, while Hungary have only lost one of their last nine matches.
Hungary starting XI: Bogdan, Varga, Meszaros, Korcsmar, Gyurcso, Dzsudzsak, Halmosi, Pinter, Koman, Szalai, Szakaly.
Hungary are missing defender Zoltan Liptak and QPR midfielder Akos Buzsaky due to respective injury problems.
Rep of Ireland starting XI: Given, O'Shea, Dunne, St Ledger, Ward, Duff, Andrews, Whelan, McGeady, Keane, Doyle.
Giovanni Trapattoni names his likely starting XI for the opening Euro 2012 clash against Croatia on Sunday for this international friendly game against Hungary at the Ferenc Puskas stadium. It will be interesting to see how Shay Given and John O'Shea get on following their respective injury scares in the build up to the tournament.
- Internationals
- 4 June 2012, 7:30pm
- Ferenc Puskas Stadion
| Hungary | v | Rep of Ireland |
| 0 | 0 |
match report
Shay Given and John O'Shea proved their fitness ahead of Euro 2012 as the Republic of Ireland drew 0-0 in Hungary on Monday night.
Given excelled on his return from a knee injury before making a half-time exit, while O'Shea was given the full 90 minutes to prepare him for Sunday's opening Group C fixture against Croatia in Poznan.
With Croatia boss Slaven Bilic among the crowd, Ireland once again demonstrated the resilience which helped them qualify for the finals, although they failed to take any of the chances they created to win the game.
Defeat would have been harsh on Hungary, who controlled much of the game, and had it not been for the excellence of Given and replacement Keiren Westwood, as well as midfielder Stephen Hunt, they might have sent Giovanni Trapattoni's men on their way to Poland tomorrow on the back of a first defeat since March last year.
But the visitors survived to eclipse their 13-game unbeaten run under Brian Kerr between 2004 and 2006 and close in on Mick McCarthy's 16-game stretch more than a decade ago.
On a night when a clean bill of health was as important, if not more so, than the result, Ireland found themselves presented with a real test for a variety of reasons.
A spectacular thunderstorm over the Ferenc Puskas Stadium delayed the kick-off for 20 minutes and left the pitch slick, and once proceedings got under way Ireland found their hosts in little mood to give them an easy ride.
Trapattoni wanted both Given and O'Shea to have a good workout in their first game since the end of the Barclays Premier League season, and Given's health in particular was put to the test during the opening 45 minutes.
Dinamo Moscow midfielder Balazs Dzsudzsak was the main source of employment for the Aston Villa goalkeeper, first testing him with a skidding 17th-minute drive and then forcing him to make a fine save seconds later.
Given had already shifted his weight onto his right foot to cover another long-range effort, but after the ball took a wicked deflection he somehow managed to get back across and claw it away to safety one-handed.
His third save from Dzsudzsak did not have to be as spectacular, but he was kept on his toes throughout as Hungary, who finished third behind Holland and Sweden in qualification for the Euros, dominated for lengthy periods.
Ireland had started well and went close to the opening goal when O'Shea headed a seventh-minute Damien Duff cross onto the roof of the net.
Skipper Robbie Keane tested goalkeeper Adam Bogdan with a well-struck 14th-minute drive, but as Adam Pinter and Vladimir Koman got on top in the middle of the field, the home side began to make the running.
Richard Dunne made a perfectly-timed sliding tackle to deny Peter Szakaly a clear run on goal and Stephen Ward had to be equally resilient to dispossess striker Adam Szalai in the final minute of the half after he had worked his way into a shooting position inside the box.
The full-back needed treatment afterwards, but as Trapattoni held his breath, he returned to the field.
Given and striker Kevin Doyle did not after the break with Westwood and Jon Walters taking their place, but there was no suggestion that Given's departure was the result of anything sinister.
Westwood had little time to settle as Hungary resumed where they had left off with Sean St Ledger and Glenn Whelan having to make important blocks, before the Sunderland goalkeeper proved his worth by getting down well to keep out another Dzsudzsak shot after it had been deflected towards goal by Szalai.
But as Trapattoni rang the changes - Keane, Duff and Keith Andrews all departed in quick succession as Simon Cox, Hunt and Darron Gibson were given a run-out - Ireland began to make an impression once again.
Walters forced a rare save from Bogdan and then drilled a right-foot shot across the face of goal, but Cox might have snatched the win with 12 minutes remaining.
Dunne's towering defensive header set McGeady away and he played the ball into the path of the striker, whose shot was firm but did not elude the ever-vigilant Bogdan.
Westwood needed help six minutes from time when Imre Szabics' effort looked to be heading straight for the bottom corner, but fellow substitute Hunt was perfectly placed to clear.
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