Ireland finally have points on the board in Nations League Group B3, and they got them in emphatic style. Playing in Debrecen, Hungary, Heimir Hallgrimsson’s men brushed aside Israel with a lively opening half that settled the contest early.
The response was badly needed after Kosovo had beaten them just three days earlier. Before kickoff, the atmosphere was tense. Handshakes were skipped, as had been anticipated, and the Irish squad lowered their heads while Israel’s anthem played.
Once the game began, the visitors looked sharp. Troy Parrott struck on 14 minutes, converting a ball squared by James Abankwah for his twelfth goal at senior international level. Barely two minutes passed before Adam Idah doubled the advantage, latching onto a pass from Jack Moylan and sliding it into the corner past Daniel Peretz.
Moylan then wrote his own headline. Bursting into the area on 25 minutes, he drilled a finish for his maiden competitive goal for his country. Between those moments, Caoimhin Kelleher had to save from Anan Khalaili, keeping the scoreboard tidy.
Israel came out with more urgency after the interval, but Kelleher was equal to efforts from Dor Peretz and Eliel Peretz. Idah nearly added another, though Daniel Peretz managed to steer his attempt wide of the post.
Ireland now host Austria in Dublin on Thursday, while Israel return to Debrecen to take on Kosovo.
