Armenia's national football team secured a 2-1 victory over Ireland in the second round of the FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament, held in Yerevan.
Midfielder Eduard Spertsyan of Krasnodar opened the scoring in the first half with a penalty. The second goal came from forward Hrant-Leon Ranos, assisted by Crvena Zvezda’s wingback Nair Tiknizyan.
Ireland responded with a goal from 20-year-old Roma striker Evan Ferguson.
With this win, Armenia earned 3 points and climbed to second place in Group F.
Portugal, with two wins and six points, leads the group, according to Armenpress.
Hungary and Ireland have one point each.
Head coach of Armenia, Yegishe Melikyan, called the victory over Ireland a “crucial step” toward the team’s major objective.
“Our plan today was to win. The important thing is that our goals brought us victory. I have one request—don’t criticize us, believe in us instead. Thank you to the fans who didn’t abandon us after the 0-5 defeat. If we stay united, everything will work out. This was a very important step forward. We have many problems, but we must resolve them step by step,” Melikyan said at a press conference.
He added that the defenders showed a different psychological approach against Ireland and Portugal, which he considers highly commendable.
“I’m especially grateful to the players who demonstrated commitment on the field,” the coach noted.
The third round of matches will take place in October. On October 11, Hungary will host Armenia, while Portugal will face Ireland at home.
