The Republic of Ireland’s final home match of 2022 ended in disappointment as Ohi Omoijuanfo’s late goal earned Norway a narrow friendly win in Dublin.
Norway, who were without Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, took the lead when Leo Östegaard brilliantly headed past Gavin Bazono.
The Republic thought they had salvaged a draw with Alan Brown’s fine strike from distance.
However, Omoijuanfo scored five minutes from time to give Norway the win.
Stephen Kenny’s Republic side round out 2022 with a friendly against Malta on Sunday.
This week’s friendlies against Norway and Malta give Kenny an opportunity to review his squad ahead of the start of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign in March.
He opted to make four changes from September’s Nations League win over Armenia, recalling Josh Cullen, Callum Robinson, Callum O’Dowda and Brown, and more to his squad for Sunday’s trip to Malta. It can be tempting to dive deep.
Draw the first half.
While O’Dowda looked bright at left-back and Robinson fired early, the Republic largely lacked trouble with Norwegian keeper Orjan Nyland during the first half.
The Republic failed to convert any of their three corners in the opening 45 minutes, but Norway showed their threat from set-pieces when Östegaard nudged John Egan to head Ødegard’s corner past Gavin Bazono.
After not much to shout about in the first half, the Republic fans came alive after the break as the hosts’ urgency to equalize created a number of chances.
Egan poked a Robinson cross just wide moments before Norway defender Morten Thoresby turned Michael Obafemi’s pass into his own net.
From the resulting corner, Nyland produced a quick save to deny Brown after the Norwegian had only half-cleared the set-piece, before O’Dowda was picked out by Josh Cullen’s brilliant diagonal pass. After that straight towards the keeper of the away side.
However, the Republic got their goal when Brown curled a superb drive into the bottom corner to cap the home side’s best spell of the match.
With the crowd coming alive in the second half, there was a sense that the Irish would push for a winner after gaining momentum.
However, it was Norway who were celebrating in the closing stages when substitute striker Omoijwanfu fired under Bazono after Nathan Collins failed to clear a cross into the box.
