Robbie Brady rolls back the years as Ireland finally taste victory in Helsinki

Robbie Brady has been here before. The only survivor from the Republic of Ireland’s last taste of major tournament football, at Euro 2016, smashed a late winner after Festy Ebosele mesmerised the Finnish defence into submission.
The wingbacks cometh, halting Ireland’s downward spiral and snapping a three-game losing streak in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.
A barely respectable score draw was nearing its conclusion when Chiedozie Ogbene gingerly departed, to be replaced by Ebosele, the Watford right-back called up to replace Matt Doherty.
The 22-year-old made an immediate impact, dancing between two Finns before picking out Brady at the back post to secure Ireland’s first victory of note since beating Scotland in June 2022.
Just like the old days, Brady galloped towards 1,100 delirious Irish fans who made the journey to Helsinki, touching the track where Eamonn Coghlan strode to a gold medal at the 1983 World Championships.
It cannot be overstated how much this group of young Irish men needed the veteran to deliver.
In the short time Heimir Hallgrímsson has been in charge, incremental improvements are visible. Victory here sure beats the resounding Nations League defeats to England and Greece last month in Dublin.
Losing to a halfhearted English performance, while depressing, was understandable. Same goes for the Greeks, although the misery could reappear in Athens on Sunday.
But Finland could not break the flagging Irish spirit as Liam Scales came to the rescue with an equaliser 10 minutes after half-time; a headed goal crafted by Brady’s eternal left foot.
And to think, a year ago, the injury prone 32-year-old’s international career appeared to be over.
It was far from the perfect win. An individual error by Nathan Collins created an early goal for Joel Pohjanpalo and the dying embers of confidence appeared to be stamped out as an autumn breeze blew through the old Olympic Stadium.
The Collins brain-freeze gifted Finland their first goal of this campaign. The young Ireland captain had the hosts on the board inside 17 minutes of wooden, predictable football.
For someone who looks so assured in a Brentford shirt, Collins’ first touch was neither to control nor play the ball back to Caoimhín Kelleher. Pohjanpalo took the opportunity to score his 16th international goal.
And with that, the Irish among a 16,105 attendance fell silent. Normal service had resumed until Scales gave them cause to sing all the hits, late into the night.
Ireland’s first competitive goal in 2024 came after Ogbene was pulled down by Topi Keskine, inviting Brady to whip a weighted cross for Scales to rise highest and beat Lukas Hradecky of Bayer Leverkusen.
This Irish purple patch ended before it started as Glen Kamara almost curled a second Finland goal into the top corner when Pohjanpalo was allowed control possession with his back to Kelleher’s goal.
Initially, in possession, Ireland reverted to a back three, with Brady and Ogbene spreading the pitch as Sammie Szmodics and Jason Knight jostled for space in midfield.
Without the ball, Brady became a left-back with Dara O’Shea at right-back as Finn Azaz was tasked with troubling the Finland defence behind Evan Ferguson.
Josh Cullen sat in the middle of it all, minding a house that is regularly burgled. Heimir-Ball suddenly makes sense.
Ferguson, who looked shattered by half-time, almost got on to a speculative, early ball from Azaz but it was Finland that created two shooting opportunities in quick succession; Robin Lod’s attempt was blocked by Collins before Leo Walta struck a low shot that Caoimhín Kelleher easily gathered.
Ferguson and Azaz lasted 70 minutes, neither making the anticipated impression in key attacking roles.
But no matter, old and young, Brady and Ebosele, delivered when it mattered most.
The Finns’ third chance came in the 17th minute when Collins made a mess of a Scales pass to offer Pohjanpalo a clean run on goal. The Venezia striker rolled the ball past Kelleher.
Ireland almost hit back when another Brady free-kick was headed back across the six yard box by Collins, after the ball crossed the end line, for Ferguson to finish.
It was a vintage Brady night as he was constantly willing to create for others. When Arttu Hoskonen and Rasmus Schuller combined to bowl Azaz over, the Dubliner stepped forward, raising his hands to say ‘I got this,’ only to fail to clear the Finnish wall.
Ireland earned credit for effort without ever looking like a functioning team, until the final moments.
Sheer will, and a poor Finland side, kept them in the game. Luck also played its part. As the seconds ticked towards 90 minutes Ben Kallman and Teemu Pukki came off the bench to take back the lead.
Kallman’s leap at the back post and downward header skimmed the outside of Kelleher’s post.
That seemed to be that until the strangest feeling, a victory on the road, came to pass.
Finland: Hradecky (Bayer Leverkusen); Ståhl (Djurgardens), Ivanov (Eintracht Braunschweig), Hoskonen (Cracovia), Galvez (LASK); Walta (IK Sirius), Schüller (Djurgardens), Kamara (Stade Rennais); Lod (Minnesota United), Pohjanpalo (Venezia), Keskinen (Aberdeen). Substitutes: Antman (Go Ahead Eagles) for Keskinen, Peltola (DC United) for Schuller (both 65), Pukki (Cincinnati) for Walta, Kallman (Cracovia) for Pohjanpalo (both 78)
Ireland: Kelleher (Liverpool); O’Shea (Ipswich Town), Collins (Brentford), Scales (Celtic), Brady (Preston North End); Cullen (Burnley); Ogbene (Ipswich Town), Knight (Bristol City), Szmodics (Ipswich Town); Azaz (Middlesbrough); Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion). Substitutes: McGrath (Aberdeen) for Azaz, Parrott (AZ Alkmaar) for Ferguson (both 71), Idah (Celtic) for Szmodics, Ebosele (Watford) for Ogbene (both 81).