Ipswich Town duo Sammie Szmodics and Dara O'Shea earned international caps as the Republic of Ireland beat Finland 1-0 in Dublin. Szmodics, making his ninth appearance for the senior team, was named in the starting lineup, playing just off Brighton striker Evan Ferguson. Szmodics thought he put his side ahead in the 23rd minute after latching onto a through ball from deep, working it around goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky before slotting into an empty net. The flag was immediately raised for offside, with the 29-year-old acknowledging that the decision - although correct - was tight. It was Ferguson who put the Boys in Green into the lead on the stroke of half time. Quick feet Michael Johnston allowed him to tease a cross onto the head of the youngster, who jumped highest to flick it into the back of the net to make it 1-0. Finland had a chance to equalise in the 77th minute following a handball from Ferguson, but Joel Pohjanpalo was denied by Liverpool shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher, with Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrímsson introducing Town defender O'Shea in place of Matt Doherty at right-back for his 31st cap. Szmodics was then withdrawn for Tom Cannon in the 85th minute. The win means little for the hosts due to England's 3-0 victory away in Greece. It guarantees that they'll finish third in Group 2, setting up a play-off game to avoid relegation from Nations League B, which will take place in March 2025. Ireland's next game is on Sunday (5pm), where they'll take on the Three Lions at Wembley. Elsewhere, Ali Al-Hamadi was an unused substitute as Iraq drew 0-0 against Jordan in World Cup qualifying. The result leaves them third in Group B with eight points ahead of their trip to Iran next Tuesday.

Dara O'Shea played through the pain barrier for Ireland in last month's Nations League games against Finland and Greece - and is still managing an injury issue ahead of the final two fixtures of the campaign as Heimir Hallgrimsson's side seek to avoid relegation. O'Shea, 25, suffered a back injury against West Ham in the last Premier League fixture before the international window. Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna believed that the best course of action was for the centre-back to withdraw from Ireland duty, but O'Shea started in both games Ireland beat Finland and lost to Greece in the away assignments. O'Shea is still suffering from the issue but is expected to play for the Tractor Boys against Tottenham Hotspur today before joining up for the Ireland squad for their final two games of this Nations League campaign, at home to Finland on Thursday and against England at Wembley next Sunday. "It was an unfortunate situation for him to get the injury and have to play through internationals with it, but he's managed it incredibly well through pain and through very limited training," McKenna commented. "He has an issue in his back that I probably won't go into the medical details of. He has an issue from an impact in his back that he picked up in the West Ham game. So it's something that's going to need to be managed for quite a period of time. Hopefully, it will get better as time goes on, but he's managed it terrifically so far." Speaking after the 2-0 loss to Greece, O'Shea said: “Of course we want to be competitive in the group and we’ve lost some games. We’ve only won one but the aim is to stay in this group and win our remaining games. It’s as simple as that, it’s not just to avoid relegation.”

Republic of Ireland assistant manager John O’Shea has said that the national team will assess Ipswich Town defender Dara O’Shea when he arrives at the camp. The 25-year-old, who joined the Blues from Burnley over the summer, has played in their last eight Premier League games while also earning two starts for the Boys in Green during the last international break. Town boss McKenna has revealed that he’s been playing with a ‘pretty severe’ back injury, however, having picked it up during the 4-1 defeat to West Ham at the start of October. While this period in the season would be a good opportunity to recover, he’s currently set to feature for Ireland against Finland and England before returning to Suffolk ahead of Ipswich’s game against Manchester United. John O’Shea is aware that he’s facing the issue and has revealed that he’ll be assessed ahead of Thursday’s match in Dublin. “Like everyone, we’ll assess that when we get proper eyes on him,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “We’ll take it from there. It was great to see him finish the game and get through the game against Tottenham. Like with any player that comes into international duty, we'll look after them and we’ll see what’s best for them.” Town duo Chiedozie Ogbene and Jack Taylor have both missed international duty with Ireland through injury. Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side currently sit third in their Nations League B group with three points from four games.

The Blues head to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (2pm) in their last game before the November international break. O'Shea's commitment and ability to perform despite the pain serves as an inspiring testament to his dedication to the sport and his country. It's a testament to O'Shea's resilience and dedication to the sport, exemplifying his unwavering commitment to both club and country.