Ireland were held to a 1-1 draw by Israel in a tense Nations League encounter in Serbia, with Troy Parrott’s penalty cancelled out by Dor Peretz shortly after half-time.
The result followed Ireland’s 3-0 victory last week when the sides in Hungary, leaving Heimir Hallgrimsson’s team with four points from their two matches against.
The in-form Parrott put Ireland ahead in the 39th minute from the penalty spot after Jimmy Dunne was brought down by Peretz. Ireland had begun to build pressure before the incident, with Dunne attempting to reach a rebound after Assaf Tzur had saved from Parrott.
The penalty was awarded following a lengthy VAR review and Parrott sent Tzur the wrong way to continue his impressive international form. The forward has now scored 10 goals in his past seven competitive appearances for Ireland.
Israel responded almost immediately after the interval. Two minutes into the second half, Oscar Gloukh’s shot deflected off Liam Scales and fell to Peretz, who finished low beyond Caoimhín Kelleher.
Neither side could find a winner despite a more open second half. Ireland substitute Chiedozie Ogbene forced a fingertip save from Tzur, while Gloukh later came close at the other end with an effort that clipped the woodwork.
The match was played behind closed doors at the TSC Arena in Backa Topola after the Football Association of Ireland moved the fixture from Dublin to a neutral venue. The decision followed calls for a boycott over Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The political tension surrounding the fixture was evident before and after the game. Ireland’s players again bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem and wore black armbands, while Kelleher, standing in for Dara O’Shea as captain, did not shake hands with Peretz before kick-off.
The atmosphere became more hostile at half-time, when players from both sides were involved in a confrontation as they entered the tunnel. Officials intervened again during stoppage time, while further arguments followed the final whistle.
Hallgrimsson subsequently called on Uefa to ensure Ireland and Israel are not drawn together again, saying the two matches had been difficult for everyone involved.
“No, they shouldn’t,” he said when asked whether the teams should meet again. “That’s not ours to decide, that’s Uefa. I wouldn’t want or wish any national team to go through what we have gone through these two weeks. Uefa needs to step in and do something.”
