Republic of Ireland completed a perfect UEFA Regions Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win over hosts Bulgaria.Gerry Davis made a number of changes before the match with qualification for the finals tournament already secured but Ireland secured their third win from three with Stephen Chambers' free-kick in the 70th minute. Westport goalkeeper Gary Cunningham came in for skipper Brendan O'Connell for his first Regions Cup qualifying appearance whilst Glen Daly of Malahide United, Aaron Humphries of Kilbarrack United and Bonagee United's Jack Parke also came into the side with Luke Casey suspended. Ireland had secured qualification thanks to victories over San Marino and an emphatic 4-0 win over Romania on Friday ahead of the final match against hosts Bulgaria today. Despite the changes, Ireland started confidently and Bulgaria struggled to break down the resolute Irish throughout.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛-𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥 😎
Stephen Chambers’ free-kick sealed the victory over Bulgaria to make it three wins in UEFA Regions Cup qualifying
🔝 spot ✅
7️⃣ goals scored
0️⃣ conceded
Finals tournament, here we come 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/Qv19E38JSk— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) October 31, 2022
Few chances in the first-half for either side but Ireland stepped up the pace of the game in the second-half and Killester Donnycarney's Chambers scored a fantastic free-kick 20 minutes from time which sealed the win. The Amateurs can now look forward to next Summer's finals at a European venue yet to be confirmed but on the displays in the group qualifier, Gerry Davis' group will be confident of their chances in 2023.With the recent friendly matches against Northern Ireland and Wales included, Ireland have won seven matches in a row, conceding just one goal during this special run from the Ireland Amateur side. Republic of Ireland: Gary Cunningham (GK); Jack Parke, Lee McColgan, Jack McMullan, Glen Daly, Aaron Humphries (AJ O'Connor 63), Stephen Chambers, Nathan Broderick, Jimmy Carr, Sam Burgess (Deiric Hyland 81), Eoin Hayes (Eoin Murphy 51).Referee: Vassillis Fotias (Greece)
