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Republic of Ireland national football team
International Friendlies
May 25, 2014 at 6pm UK
 
Turkey national football team

1-2

Walters (78')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Ozek (17'), Camdal (76')

Live Commentary: Republic of Ireland 1-2 Turkey - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live coverage of the international friendly between the Republic of Ireland and Turkey at the Aviva Stadium.
2

Turkey have beaten the Republic of Ireland 2-1 in their international friendly at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin this evening.

Ahmet Ilham Ozek put the visitors ahead with a headed finish inside the opening 20 minutes.

Osman Tarik Camdal doubled their advantage with less than 15 minutes still to play, but Jonathan Walters pulled one back straight away, although Martin O'Neill's men could not get back on level terms in the final minutes of the match.

Read how all the action unfolded below:


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Good evening! It's just half an hour until the Republic of Ireland and Turkey get their international friendly match underway at the Aviva Stadium. Both sides have already announced their teams, so let's take a look at the squads.

ROI STARTING XI: Elliot, Wilson, Coleman, O'Shea, Delaney, Ward, Whelan, McGeady, McClean, Hoolahan, Long

TURKEY STARTING XI: Kivrak, Balta, Calhanoglu, Gonul, Inan, Erding, Sahin, Erkin, Kisa, Toprak, Ozek

ROI SUBSTITUTES: Forde, Pearce, Kelly, Duffy, Clark, Green, Pilkington, Quinn, Meyler, Murphy, Walters, Stokes, Cox

TURKEY SUBSTITUTES: Zengin, Babacan, Dogan, Demirok, Potuk, Sahan, Buyuk, Ozyakup, Tufan, Pektemek, Adin, Karabulut, Camdal, Sahin

So plenty of familiar names on the Ireland team sheet. They're without the likes of Richard Keogh, Richard Dunne and Conor Sammon, all of whom were involved in the Championship playoff final yesterday, but John O'Shea takes the captain's armband, while Shane Long and West Hoolahan will lead the attack in the first half.

Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin, who spent the season on loan with Borussia Dortmund, captains the visitors, who have lost just once in their last six outings. Saint-Etienne striker Mevlut Erding will provide the main threat for the Turkish side, having scored 10 goals in 26 appearances for his club this season.

In his pre-match press conference, Ireland manager Martin O'Neill told reporters: "They are a strong side. I have watched a good few of DVDs about them but we know they will make a couple of changes for the game. They will have some new young players in the squad. Turkey are Turkey, though. They will cause problems. I think it is better preparation playing strong teams for the European qualifiers. These teams are going to the World Cup so you would imagine they will play a very strong side."

It's just over three months until qualifying for Euro 2016 will get underway. Turkey face a tricky qualifying group against Netherlands, Czech Republic, Latvia, Iceland and Kazakhstan. Ireland potentially have a kinder draw, they face Gibraltar, Georgia, Scotland, Poland and Germany in their group.

The players are making their way out ready for this evening's match. Before proceedings get underway, the anthems from both countries will be played.

The Irish side are wearing the new home kit for the first time this evening. Here's a rather large version of the new shirt:


Ahead of kickoff, there will also be a minute's silence in memory of those that died in the Turkish mining disaster earlier this month.

KICKOFF! Turkey get the match underway.

CHANCE! Rob Elliot, who is making his debut for Ireland this evening, has already had to make his first save as Mevlut Erding managed to slip through the defenders for a shot, but his finish was straight at the keeper.

CHANCE! The hosts are really under pressure in the opening couple minutes as Erding is through again, but Delaney manages to turn it behind for a corner, which is swiftly cleared. Certainly a shaky start for Martin O'Neill's men.

PENALTY APPEAL! The home side want a penalty as Shane Long is brought down by a challenge from behind by Omer Toprak after the striker had been set up by Hoolahan, but the referee waves their appeals away. There was definitely a foul but it was right on the edge of the box, although the official didn't give a free kick either, so it looks like he's missed it completely.

CHANCE! Ireland are starting to find their feet now as Stephen Ward collects the ball from Hoolahan before trying to volley it into the far corner, but it's just wide.

The hosts have certainly put their nervy start behind them, and are enjoying a solid spell of sustained pressure at the moment. Coleman takes the ball to the edge of the box, but he attempt to cross it in towards Long and Hoolahan is blocked.

Following Ireland's frantic spell, Turkey are just trying to keep possession for the time being, with Sahin and Bilal Kisa holding it in midfield, but Ward wins it back for Ireland, and the hosts are quickly looking to get forward again.

OFF THE LINE! Ireland are withing inches of taking the lead but a fantastic clearance of the line denies them. Long has the initial shot, but Kivrak comes out to make the save. O'Shea plays it back in for Long, but Turkey have a man on the post, and he manages to make the block. O'Shea appeals for a penalty, claiming that there was a hand ball, but it was a good clearance.

GOAL! Republic of Ireland 0-1 Turkey (Ahmet Ilhan Ozek)

The visitors catch Ireland out with a quick break following their chance at the other end. Gokhan Gonul sends it a well-placed cross for Ahmet Ilhan Ozek, who was unmarked in the Irish box, to head in for the opening goal of the night.

It looks like Turkey are going to have to make a change as Selcuk Inan appears to have picked up a knock in the run up to the goal.

SUB! Turkey do indeed make the change, as Oguzhan Ozyakup takes the place of Inan in midfield.

Neither side have really posed much of threat in front of goal since Turkey's opener. Whelan tried to force the ball forward for the home side, but his progress was halted by a foul, while Sahin and Gokhan continue to build possession in midfield to Turkey.

Turkey win a corner, but Gorkan's low delivery is easily cleared by Long, allowing Ireland to try and push down the other end. Aiden McGeady gets the ball out wide before rounding a defender and picking out James McClean with the cross, but his header went well wide.

Ireland are looking the more urgent of the two sides at the moment, but just can't quite find the finish that they need to get back on level terms. Whelan wins the ball again and tries to set up Hoolahan, but his delivery is blocked and cleared by Erkin.

There's another injury concern for the visitors as Gorkhan Gonul clashes with McClean, leaving him with a thigh injury. At the moment he's off the pitch receiving treatment, but Turkey will be hoping that he is able to continue as he's looked lively so far.

CHANCE! McGeady is on the move again for Ireland as he looks to move the ball forward, but Caner Erkin brings him down to give the hosts a free kick. After the initial effort is cleared, Hoolahan delivers it in for McClean, but Turkey manage to get it clear after a scramble inside the box.

CHANCE! Ireland test the goalkeeper again as the ball falls to McClean, who hits it well with his first touch, but a solid stop from Onur Recep Kivrak keeps Turkey ahead.

OFFSIDE! Mevlut Erding has the ball in the back of the net, but he'd been flagged for offside well before he got the shot away. That said, it was a fantastic finish by the striker, who hit it on the turn on the edge of the box.

Ireland are on the attack again as they try to get back on level terms before the break, but Ward's cross intended for McClean is booted away for Gokhan, who is showing no signs of any lingering pain from his injury earlier on.

Ireland continue to probe but Turkey have numbers back in order to make sure they go into the break ahead. There will be two minutes of stoppage time before half time.

HALF TIME: Republic of Ireland 0-1 Turkey

At the break, it's Turkey who are ahead thanks to a 17th-minute header from Ozek, but Ireland have created plenty of chances to get themselves back on level terms so aren't out of this match yet.

Let's take a look at some of the stats from the opening 45 minutes at the Aviva Stadium. The hosts had the edge in possession with 58%. Ireland also created more chances than the visitors, with seven to Turkey's four. Turkey had the only two corners, but committed eight fouls, while Ireland made just four.

The hosts will feel hard done by having not been awarded a penalty early on. Shane Long was clear through on goal when he was brought down with a tackle from behind. Replays show that the tackle was just inside the box and it was definitely a foul. Things could have been very different if the referee had spotted that, as it would surely have been a red card as well as a spot kick.

As it's a friendly, both teams will be able to make a host of changes in the second half, should they choose. The hosts have plenty of men on the bench capable of getting them a goal back, including Jon Walters, Anthony Stokes and Simon Cox. Both sides have had substitutes out warming up during the break, so there may be some early changes in the second half.

SUB! Turkey are making one change before the match gets back underway, bringing on Ozan Tufan in place of Bilal Kisa.

KICKOFF! Ireland get the match back underway.

CHANCE! Long looks to set up McClean for an early chance, sending a long ball forward for his teammate, but he slightly overhits it, allowing the keeper to come off his line and claim it before McClean can get a touch.

Turkey manage to head down the other end and win a corner, but Delaney swiftly gets it clear for the hosts, who immediately try to counter, but the move comes to nothing.

There's a bit of a lull in the match at the moment as both teams are yet to find their rhythm following the restart. Ireland have a number of their substitutes doing stretches on the sidelines, so some fresh legs could be heading on shortly.

Turkey inject some space as they try to catch Ireland napping, but Cacer Erkin overhits his cross for Ozek, allowing O'Shea to clear the danger.

Ireland are really struggling the create chances, resulting in Martin O'Neill furiously discussing plans for a change with his assistants. Meanwhile, it looks like Turkey are also getting ready for another substitute.

Ireland win a free kick around 30 yards out, while Wilson taps out wide for McGeady, but the midfielder can't get the cross in.

Ozek suddenly finds himself in space down the other end looking for his second of the night for Turkey, following a good ball forward from Sahin, but O'Shea in back to get the block in.

SUB! Olcan Adin is this third Turkish substitute to be introduced, replacing Hakan Calhanoglu.

SUBS! It's a triple substitution for the home side with David Meyler, Jonathan Walters and Daryl Murphy all being introduced as Damian Delaney, Shane Long and Aiden McGeady all head off.

Walters has a chance to make an immediate impact when Meyler wins the ball in midfield and picks the Stoke striker out with a through ball, but his first touch lets him down and Turkey make the clearance.

SUB! Turkey make another change, taking off goalscorer Ahmet Ilhan Ozek for Osmar Tarik Camdal.

The second half of this match really hasn't lived up to promise of the first, when both sides were creating chances at will. The second half has been a much scrappier affair, with few clear cut goal-scoring opportunities for either side. There's still the best part of 20 minutes to go though, so that could all change.

PENALTY APPEAL! Wes Hoolahan wants a penalty after claiming that Toprak tugged his shirt in the box, but there was little in it, and the referee shows little interest in his shouts.

GOAL! Republic of Ireland 0-2 Turkey (Osmar Tarik Camdal)

As with their first goal, Turkey manage to catch the home side out with a quick break. While Hoolahan was still appealing for a penalty at the other end, Gohkan led the visitors down the other end before passing to Oguzhan Ozyakup who found Camdal, who had only just come off the bench, to slot the ball under Elliot.

GOAL! Republic of Ireland 1-2 Turkey (Jonathan Walters)

That's a fantastic response by Ireland to get them straight back into this match. From the restart, Hoolahan quickly gains possession and picks out Walters with the through ball, allowing the striker to coolly fire it into the top corner. That seems to have perked the crowd up somewhat too, and Ireland are already on the attack again looking for a second.

McClean tries to dance around Erkin on the edge of the box, but he loses the ball to the Turkey defender. The hosts quickly regather and look for another way through, but McClean's second attempt to get a pass into the area is cleared.

SUB! Turkey make yet another change, replacing Mevlut Erding with Mustafa Pektemek.

SUB! The hosts make a change too as Stephen Quinn takes over from Glenn Whelan.

BOOKING! Gokhan Gonul is the first player to be shown a yellow card for time wasting while taking a throw in for the visitors.

SUB! Nuri Sahin is making way early on Turkey bring on Ishak Dogan for the final five minutes of the match.

CHANCE! That was a brilliant chance for Ireland as McClean crossed the ball in to Daryl Murphy, but his header was straight at the goalkeeper to leave him with a comfortable save.

Turkey are just trying to keep possession now to make sure they don't give Ireland a chance to create a late equaliser. The home side are pressing hard though and win the ball back. It falls to Meyler on the edge of the box, but the Hull man can't get his shot away.

Ireland have three minutes of stoppage time to find an equaliser.

CHANCE! Ozyakub has a chance to put the win beyond doubt for Turkey, but he hadn't spotted Meyler closing in behind him and took too long to get the shot away, allowing the substitute to make the tackle and steal the ball back for Ireland.

FULL TIME: Republic of Ireland 1-2 Turkey

Despite some good chances to get back on level terms, the Republic of Ireland can't find a late goal to prevent the defeat to Turkey. Martin O'Neill has three more friendlies before the start of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign to get his side back on form.

The home side finished with more shots on target than their opponents, but a string of solid saves from Onur Recep Kivrak ensured that Turkey kept themselves ahead.

That's all from this match, but join us again throughout the week as England, France, Spain and Scotland all have international friendlies in the coming days. Until then, thanks for joining me this evening, goodbye.

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