Max O’Leary marked his long-awaited senior international debut with two vital saves to spare the Republic of Ireland’s blushes in Luxembourg.
The 28-year-old Bristol City goalkeeper, who was first called up six years ago, denied Danel Sinani and substitute Vincent Thill either side of half-time to ensure Ireland emerged with a 0-0 friendly draw in their final game before they launch their World Cup qualification campaign in September.
Skipper Nathan Collins headed against the post and substitute Jack Taylor blasted against the bar at the end of either half but the visitors, who extended their unbeaten run to four games in unremarkable fashion in front of a crowd of just 6,312, could not find a winner for head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson on his 58th birthday.
A team shorn of the bulk of its Sky Bet Championship players because their season ended more than a month ago will look very different when the qualifiers come around, but few who were handed auditions in their place at the Stade de Luxembourg staked a persuasive claim to line up against Hungary or Armenia.
O’Leary had to collect Tomas Moreira’s 13th-minute cross under pressure from Sinani and then saw Gerson Rodrigues, whose participation following his conviction on three charges of assault and battery, one against a former girlfriend, continues to prove controversial – a banner in the stadium read “Red card for violence against women” – drag a shot harmlessly wide in a low-key start.
But Ireland almost fell behind nine minutes later when Evan Ferguson’s loose pass allowed Sinani to slip away from Killian Phillips’ desperate sliding challenge and send O’Leary diving to his left to palm away a curling attempt.
Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson with captain Nathan Collins
Rodrigues drove a 37th-minute ball across the face of goal which was only just too strong for Eldin Dzogovic at the far post after Luxembourg once again made ground down the left as a game low on quality limped towards half-time.
However, Hallgrimsson’s men went close two minutes before the break when Dara O’Shea helped Will Smallbone’s free-kick back across goal for Collins to head against the upright.
Kasey McAteer injected some life into the laboured Irish attack with an enterprising run and shot which slid wide of the far post within two minutes of the restart, but had it not been for Jason Knight’s block at the other end, skipper Laurent Jans would have put the home side ahead with 49 minutes played.
Troy Parrott had a goal correctly ruled out for offside and, with the game opening up, he was unable to convert from McAteer’s pass, while O’Leary had to save from Aiman Dardari as Luxembourg responded.
Chances came at both ends with Taylor sweeping fellow substitute Festy Ebosele’s 63rd-minute pull-back just wide and O’Leary saving Thill’s drilled attempt with his left foot seconds later, but it was Taylor who came closest to winning it at the death when he rattled the crossbar with an 88th-minute piledriver.
