Ken Early: Ireland find their collective focus while Troy Parrott goes solo

Ireland v Austria was announced as a sell-out the day of the game, but there were empty seats dotted around and official attendance was about 5,000 short of capacity. Those who had tickets and did not turn up were unfortunate to miss the best goal Ireland have scored at this stadium. It came in the 12th minute. Caoimhin Kelleher’s long ball to the left side was flicked on by Adam Idah to Parrott, who turned, cut inside Lienhart to send him circling away, and glanced up to see if there was anyone to lay it off to. There was nobody.At this point he actually raised both hands with palms up, as though expressing exasperation at the lack of options, before realising he would have to do it himself.He moved towards Lienhart as though to go past him on the left, dangling the ball in front of the defender who lunged gamely into a challenge. Parrott slipped the ball between his legs and left him for dead. Now he was moving into space approaching the edge of Austria’s box – close enough to hammer a shot at goal.READ MOREHe shaped to hit that shot, bringing David Affengruber charging across his path to block, and casually chopped back the hopelessly wrong-footed Fulham defender.Now he was one on one with the keeper and still running, taking one more little touch with the left to get the ball on his right. Florian Wiegele advanced with a resigned air. Parrott swept it past him with no doubt.The grin on his face as he turned to celebrate showed he knew how good it was. As close to a perfect goal as you will see. Parrott gliding and darting, the Austrian defenders lumbering helplessly, slaves to his immaculate deception. Was it the best-ever individual Ireland goal? Hard to speak in terms of all-time when so many old-time goals have been lost like tears in rain, but there has not been one better than this since the Charlton era. Nathan Collins against Ukraine was good. Damien Duff scored against Canada after a long run, but that was a friendly.Even before this incredible moment Ireland had started the game well. They knew that Austria, with their high-pressing Red Bull style, like to feed on your build-up. So Kelleher hit a lot of balls long, over the press. It helped that Idah and Jack Moylan were competitive in the air. Another option close to Kelleher was provided by Finn Azaz, chosen to start in the deeper midfield position he has often ended up in late in games. Azaz can see and hit a forward pass and his presence deeper in moves might help to unlock the potential of the forwards. But how would he stand up to the high-intensity Red Bull style of the Austrians?Pretty well as it turned out. He showed the ability to take care of the ball in tight spaces, and release team-mates, as with one excellent pass cracked up the line to James Abankwah. He also demonstrated a willingness for the physical confrontation, as when he won a crunching tackle against Kevin Wimmer on halfway. Austria’s best chance of the first half came when Azaz intercepted their possession in midfield, only for Liam Scales to give it away with a sloppy pass.Finn Azaz of Ireland in action against Romano Schmid of Austria at the Aviva Stadium. Photograph: Evan Treacy/EPA On this showing, this is where Azaz should stay. It may not be his best position, but it is where he is most useful to this team. The game was interrupted on 19 minutes by a shower of tennis balls to protest the Israel game. Both teams took time to huddle on the sideline and confer. There were no more tennis ball protests. The only effort to disrupt the match thereafter came two minutes later when a pitch invader made it about two metres on to the pitch before being tackled. He managed to whip a Palestine flag from out of his clothing and brandish at the crowd as he was frogmarched away while the crowd applauded politely.On this showing, the FAI will feel their decision to press on with the Israel games in the face of determined opposition has been vindicated. The decision can never be acceptable in the eyes of the protesters who were handing out information leaflets on Israeli sportswashing that unfolded into Palestine flags. Most Ireland fans, though, have clearly accepted it. As for the team, you might have expected the disrupted preparation and many hours spent arguing in team meetings last Friday and Saturday would confuse and demoralise them. Actually it seems to have cleared their heads.The football Ireland played from the start against Israel, and in the first half here, was a world away from the confused and passive performance in Kosovo.Ryan Manning won a penalty for Ireland which was converted by Troy Parrott. Photograph: Evan Treacy/EPA In hindsight it looks as though the general atmosphere of dread at the beginning of the camp had seeped into both manager, who selected a too-defensive team in Pristina, and the players, who were inhibited and unfocused.Just before half-time Ryan Manning won a penalty which Parrott scored. It was his ninth goal in his last nine games for Ireland.Irish players have not achieved this kind of scoring form very often. Robbie Keane’s most prolific form in his record-setting Ireland career was a run of 10 goals in nine games in 2010-11. Half those goals were in friendlies against Scotland, Wales and Algeria. Of the teams Keane scored competitive goals against on this run, only Russia were ranked higher than Ireland at the time.All Parrott’s goals have come in competitive games and all except the one against Israel have been scored against teams ranked higher than Ireland.The second half started well, with Parrott producing a few beautiful moments to open up the game, controlling with clean touches and finding a player running into space, the team sweeping forward, the crowd roaring them on.“As long as he was on the pitch, he was man of the match, not only because he scored a brilliant goal, but he was involved in everything,” Austria’s coach Ralf Rangnick said afterwards.After the subs on the hour mark, it became ragged. Austria’s subs worked better, and two of them, Alex Prass and Michael Gregoritsch, brought it back to 2-2 between 71 and 77 minutes. Molumby had the chance to clear the danger in the build-up to the first goal but his touch was indecisive. The second was a free-kick that wrong-footed Kelleher, who had otherwise produced his usual excellent game.Austria were fitter, and it’s disappointing that Ireland blew a good position. The subs will take further analysis. But the team has a growing body of evidence that when it is really focused, good things happen.