THE Republic of Ireland kept their World Cup qualification dreams alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Armenia at the Aviva Stadium.
In a match that offered little quality in the first half, Ireland looked short of ideas and struggled to impose themselves on a resolute Armenian side.
The visitors nearly struck first when Eduard Spertsyan, who had scored in Armenia’s win over Ireland in Yerevan earlier in the campaign, volleyed wide.
But the game’s momentum shifted just minutes into the second half when Barseghyan was shown a straight red card for headbutting Ireland midfielder Finn Azaz.
The Armenian captain’s dismissal left his side with 10 men and handed the initiative to a previously lacklustre Irish team.
Ireland finally capitalised in the 70th minute when Ferguson met Will Smallbone’s pinpoint cross with a firm header to beat Armenian goalkeeper Henri Avagyan.
It was Ferguson’s fourth goal in five competitive matches for his country.
Avagyan had earlier kept Ireland at bay with a string of excellent saves, denying headers from Nathan Collins and Dara O’Shea and stopping a close-range effort from Ferguson.
But the breakthrough eventually came as Ireland’s numerical advantage began to tell.
The victory marks Ireland’s first in Group F and lifts them to third place, just one point behind Hungary with two games remaining.
Manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, while acknowledging the underwhelming performance, emphasised the importance of the result over the display.
“We said before the camp we’d take a scrappy 1-0 win, and that’s what we got,” Hallgrimsson said to Sky News.
“We kept a clean sheet, we didn’t concede early, and we’re still alive. That’s what mattered tonight.”
Hungary’s dramatic 2-2 draw in Portugal earlier in the day means Ireland still face a steep challenge to finish second and secure a playoff spot.
Hallgrimsson noted that the path forward remains unchanged.
“We always knew we’d need to go to Hungary and get a win. That hasn’t changed,” he said. “It’s still all to play for.”
Looking ahead, Ireland hosts group leaders Portugal in Dublin on November 13 before travelling to face Hungary in a potential group-deciding clash on November 16.
Suspensions to Jayson Molumby and Ryan Manning, both booked in the Armenia game, will add to the selection challenges.