Rep of Ireland v Armenia – live!

56 min: Greece came from behind to win in Georgia, meaning Croatia finish second in that group and will be in the play-offs.

55 min: Surprising substitution by Armenia: Pizelli, who had been playing very well, is replaced by Manucharyan.

54 min: Andrews lets fly from 20 yards. It flies just past the post. But Ireland are well on top now.

53 min: Ireland summon their best move of the match, and Cox was central to it. After fizzing the ball about incisively, they forge an opening for the overlapping Kelly, but he hesitates before shooting, allowing a defender to strip him. Of the ball.

50 mins: Chaos in the Armenia box – for all their enterprise and slickness going forward, they’re shoddy at the back – but this time their frantic scrambling is enough to thwart Cox. “Ireland can still lose this. If Armenia score it will be game on. So please don’t count the chickens yet,” pleads Kevin Mannerings. “As for potential opponents, can’t we have Scotland?” Not counting chickens, eh? And no, you can’t have Scotland: they’re losing 1-0 in Spain already. Wales are 1-0 up in Bulgaria but already out of the running in the group.

48 min: According to Sky, the ref came to look at one of their monitors at half-time and, having seen a replay of the sending off, insists it was the right decision.

47 min: Pizelli slides a pass into Movsisyan, who turns deftly past Dunne but St Ledge hurls himself in front of his shot, taking the sting out of it. Easy save by Given.

46 min: Ireland get the second half under way. Within seconds Armenia have the ball and are probing forward. “Half-time entertainment in Dublin is a kid’s match,” reports Liam Rooney. “And I fear for the future of Irish football. They appear to have learnt nothing from their seniors. They are passing to feet.”

Update: As things stand, Ireland could face Portugal in the play-offs, as Cristiano Ronaldo & Co are trailing 1-0 in Denmark. Greece could be in the hat too, although they have pulled it back to 1-1 in Georgia. Turkey too, as they’re beating Azerbaijan as Belgium are being battered in Germany.

Half-time: Well that was bonkers. Eamon Dunphy infamously described Mick McCarthy as “a congenital loser” following a series of misfortunes in qualification campaigns. Giovani Trapattoni, by contrast, and notwithstanding that Thierry Henry’s decried intervention, has generally been incredibly lucky sicne taking charge of Ireland. And tonight he has been jammier than ever before, as Armenia suffered a harsh red card (brought about, it must be said, but their keeper’s rashness) and then conceded an absurd own goal. Armenia remain menacing on the counter, but it seems they are facing an impossible force here. “Niall Mullen is right,” confirms Justin Kavanagh. “I look forward to the long and protracted campaign by the FAI to have the match replayed or to give the Armenians a wildcard place at Euro 2012.” Ireland should put the ball into their own net at the start of the second half out of solidarity.

45+1 min: Freekick to Armenia about 25 yards out. Movsisyan curls over the bar, to the relief of the home crowd.

44 min: What’s wrong with the Armenian keepers? Petrosyan hares out of his box and handles! It’s only a yellow, as there was no immediate danger. Ireland waste the freekick.

GOAL! Ireland 1-0 Armenia (Aleksanyan with a preposterous own goal!) Jamnation once again! Having already benefitted from a contentious red card, Ireland take the lead through a ridiclous own goal. Duff put in a lovely low cross from the left and Doyle, attempting a slinky back-hell, completely missed it. Aleksanyan just had to wallop it clear under no pressure but instead hammered it into his own net!

40 min: Kelly is caught in possession by Mkhitaryan, who lopes forward and exchanges passes with Movsisyan before Andrews makes an important intervention at the edge of the Irish box. “McGeady looks pretty woeful,” groans James, and many others. ” Not followed much of his money spinning tour of Russia but his fairly limited flashdancing doesn’t seem to be fooling Armenia at all.”

37 min: Ireland are not making use of their numerical advantage at present. Simply not using the ball intelligently enough to find space. And Armenia continue to look menacing on the counter, notably through Pizelli, the naturalised Brazilian (who, I’m told, speaks fluent Armenian). He’s just had a crack from 25 yards and presumably said the Armenian equivalent of ‘drat’ as it flew well wide.

35 min: Here’s a thing: the replay of the red card incident suggest that Berezovsky probably didn’t handle the ball (despite trying to) … and Cox did, when taking down the ball over the top. That prompts this observation from Niall Mullen. “I assume thousands of my fellow countrymen will be up in arms about Simon Cox’s handball there. It was a shocking piece of skulduggery compounded by the majority of the Irish team calling for the keeper to be sent off. After the Thierry Henry affair I know how much we Irishmen hate injustice.”

33 min: Petrosyan gets his first touch of the ball, bending down to pick up a long-range trickler from Cox. “Thanks Paul for the interesting insight from Tom Jones,” blurts Justin Kavanagh. “This begs some tight-trousered questions: Will Ireland say just help yourself to the Armenians, despite being on the green, green grass of home? Or will it be a not unusual case of Trap’s man desperately on hanging (what’s new pussycat?) and everyone going home delirah?” What, you couldn’t think of any way to work a sex bomb into your analysis?

31 min: In a radical departure from normality, Ireland are going all-out attack now. They win a corner … but decide not to stick in on the novice keeper … and then try to work room for a shot, but fail. Armenia then hurtle down the other end and Movsisyan fires in a wonderful cross. But no one can get on the end of it.

28 min: The first task for the new keeper, Petrosyan, is to stop the freekick from 20 yards. If you can judge a keeper by his gait as he comes on to the pitch, Petrosyan is dodgy. A decidedly flouncy walk. But McGeady’s freekick fails to put that theory to the test, as it whistles over the bar. “Maybe your neighbor is hoping you aren’t aware of the fact that apricot pits are poisonous cyanide,” claims Paul Taylor. “How many did he give you to eat, again?”

25 min: Red card for the Armenia keeper! They were caught out by a ball over the top and Berezovsky charged out of his box to block Cox’s shot! The referee sends him off! The keeper protests that the ball hit his chest and replays are inconclusive – the ball may have hit his chest, but you can understand the ref thinking it was the arms, since the keeper certainly tried to block the ball with them. Off he toddles and on comes a 20-year-old replacement who has never got a senior cap before!

22 min: Kelly launches in a long, rather aimless cross from the left. Cox challenges the keeper for it and is – wrongfully – penalised for a foul. The keeper then milks it for far more than it’s worth.

20 min: Ireland continue their up-and-at’em approach, which isn’t making much inroads at present but at least the game is being played in the Armenia half. Meanwhile, Germany are 3-0 up against Belgium. I had a wager earlier on there being a red card in that match, largely because I expected one of the fiery young Belgians to get frustrated and do a Rooney. Still 40 minutes for that to happen.

17 min: After neat interplay by Armenia in midfield, where Pizelli is continually finding space, Pizelli overhits an attempted pass to Mkoyan. “You are making me nervous with the pictures on your MBM,” shudders Niall O’Keefe. “The contrast between Doyle and Movsisyan is a bit too stark. What about a happy Shay Given?” Tell you what, I’ll put up a shot of a happier Doyle if/when Ireland score. Kevin is looking sprightly.

15 min: Pizelli pokes a fine pass through to Movsiyan, who beats Given to the ball but can’t keep it in play. This match is taut.

14 min: Kelly, who has made an uncomfortable beginning, is booked for a dangerous tackle on Pizelli. A long night ahead of the defender.

12 min: Ooooh! Great chance! Doyle flicked on a punt to Cox, who tried to manouevre space for a shot from 16 yards but was crowded out by defenders. He eventually popped the ball back to Doyle, who has a free shot from 14 yards …. but drives it straight at the keeper.

12 min: That’s better from Ireland. A nice sequence of passes to feet, all in the opposing half. Eventually they win a corner, but Berezovsky punches it clear.

10 min: Russia have taken the lead over Andorra thanks to Dzagoev. Ireland’s feint hopes of nicking top spot have gone up in flames. And judging by the early exchanges here, they’re going to have a job hanging on to second – and hanging on seems to be what they’re setting out to do: they’re sitting very deep.

8 min: Armena are already looking the more comfortable and progressive in possession. It’s all a bit harum-scarum from Ireland.

6 min: Corner to Armenia after a comical miskick by St Ledger. Pizelli takes it short and, after getting it back, pings it into the near post and forces a desperate clearance by St Ledger. Nervy.

4 min: Armenia are showing their threat early on, attacking in great numbers whenever they get the ball. Mkhitaryan fails to test Given, however, with a rasper from 25 yards. “The last (and only) time Ireland qualified for the Euros (God bless you Gary McKay) the team would’ve been something like: Bonner, Hughton, Moran, McCarthy, Morris, McGrath, Whelan Sheedy, Houghton, Aldridge, Cascarino.” recalls Niall Mullen. “Of the current lot, I reckon only Given would get in that team. Maybe Richard Dunne for Big Mick and Duff from 2005. Trap is just the latest in a line of managers unable to fashion a silk purse from a sow’s ear.” It’s true that Ireland don’t have the same calibre of players as before but they’re still better than they have looked for most of this campaign, and Trap has mostly ignored Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy, Wes Hoolahan …

2 min: It’s a positive start from Ireland as they attack down the right. Duff eventually digs out a cross in the general direction of the back post, but there is no one there to meet it.

1 min: The renovated Lansdowne Road looks about 90% full and it’s crackling with noisy tension as Armenia get the game going.

6.45pm: news from elsewhere: Belgium’s hopes of sneaking into the play-offs aren’t looking great as they’re 2-0 down in Germany. Greece, meanwhile, are losing in Georgia, which is good news for Croatia.

6.43pm: They’re going to have to rattle through these anthems if the match is to kick off on time. Perhaps that will help set a high tempo to the game?

6.40pm: The injured Robbie Keane is being interviewed pitchside. “It’s a massive, massive game,” he says. “We just need to be really cautious of them because they’re very dangerous on the counter-attack.”

6.35pm: “We’ve got to be positive tonight and dominate this game,” hollers Packie Bonner on Sky. Has he been watching this campaign?

Preamble:
This morning I was awoken by a loud rat-a-tat-tat on my door. No, it wasn’t the bailiffs. It was my 72-year-old neighbour, who’s Armenian. I opened and he handed me a large bag of apricots. “There,” he said with a mischievous, toothless grin. “That’s the only thing the Irish will get off Armenia today.”

Apparently Armenia invented apricots (its scientific name is even prunus armeniaca). It’s also said to have given the world chess. And now they’ve only gone and concocted a handy football team (which is unusual, as Tom Jones explains here). They’re fast, intricate and bold and they need to win in Dublin to earn a play-off spot that seemed highly improbable when the groups were picked possible when: other than in 1998, when they finished fourth in their World Cup qualifying group, Armenia have always finished bottom or second from bottom. Now a swashbuckling run of victories, and goals galore, of propelled them into a position where Giovanni Trapattoni genuinely fears them. Then again, he fears all opposition, since the basic premise underpinning his management is that Ireland are rubbish and will be beaten by everyone if they try to do anything other than scuff, scurry and hoof. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Gevorg Ghazaryan and Yura Movsisyan have scored more goals than the entire Irish squad in this campaign.

Ireland could score too, most likely from set-pieces since Armenia’s weakness is their aerial fallibility. But chances are the hosts won’t attack much unless they concede. This is sure to be a tense, possibility agonising spectacle. The question, then, is will I be chucking apricots through my neighbour’s window tonight in celebration or dismay?

Teams:
Rep of Ireland: Given, St. Ledger, Dunne, O’Shea, Kelly,
McGeady, Whelan, Andrews, Duff, Doyle, Cox.
Subs: Westwood, Coleman, Walters, Long, Hunt, Fahey, O’Dea.

Armenia: Berezovsky, Hovsepyan, Mkrtchyan, Pizelli, Malakyan,
Ghazaryan, Movsisyan, Mkoyan, Aleksanyan, Mkhitaryan, Hayrapetyan.
Subs: Petrosyan, Yuspashyan, Artur Edigaryan, Sarkisov, Artak Edigaryan, Badoyan, Manucharyan.

Referee: Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez (Spain)