Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Ryan Byrne/INPHO Player ratings: How the Boys in Green fared against Bulgaria Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side earned a hard-fought 4-2 aggregate win. 10.03pm, 23 Mar 2025 Share options Paul Fennessy reports from the Aviva Stadium Caoimhín Kelleher: Didn’t have much to do but was solid when he needed to be. 7 Nathan Collins: Noticeably took fewer risks with his passing as he played it long a couple of times in the first half and was invariably a reassuring presence at the back. 7 Jake O’Brien: The Everton man did not look like a young player inexperienced at international level and was mostly comfortable against a poor enough Bulgaria attack. 7 Advertisement Matt Doherty: Not as eye-catching as in the first leg but is back to his old self after a difficult period and showed his versatility by playing left and right-back. 7 Robbie Brady: Wasn’t quite as effective down the left in the absence of Ryan Manning. but still put in a few good deliveries from which Ireland could easily have scored. 7 Josh Cullen: Another solid if not spectacular outing for the Burnley man. Was lucky to escape a booking for a cynical challenge in the dying stages. 6 Jason Knight: Plenty of energy as ever but still isn’t really dominating games at this level. 6 Mikey Johnston: Works very hard but had a couple of sloppy moments in possession before being replaced by Adam Idah in the 65th minute. 6 Finn Azaz: Not everything he tried came off but it was his brilliant pass that set up Evan Ferguson’s equaliser. Must surely be well placed to keep the number 10 role long-term. 7 Troy Parrott: The official man of the match, Parrott was picked in a deeper role tonight and wasn’t as impressive as in the first leg but was still involved in some nice link-up play. 7 Evan Ferguson: Had a quiet first half and at times, it felt like it wasn’t going to be his night, but like all good strikers, he was persistent and took his goal brilliantly. 7 Substitutes: Jack Taylor, Mark Sykes and Adam Idah all had a hand in the second goal, while Ryan Manning and Jimmy Dunne didn’t do much wrong. 8 Paul Fennessy Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Player ratings: How the Boys in Green fared against Bulgaria”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Player ratings: How the Boys in Green fared against Bulgaria”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. 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Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion evan ferguson Nations League Ireland Republic Top-10 finishes for Power and Lowry as Hovland ends PGA title drought with Valspar victory 15 mins ago FreeNations League Portugal confirmed as Ireland's World Cup qualification opponents 29 mins ago Troy Parrott continues to come of age with performance of growing maturity David Sneyd reports from Aviva Stadium 58 mins ago League B loyal Ferguson and Idah goals secure League B status and another comeback win Gavin Cooney reports from the Aviva Stadium Ireland v Bulgaria, Nations League playoff FreeNational League 'Is it a lack of leadership or lack of cohesiveness?' - A puzzling league concludes FreeMatch Report Late drama as Mayo go from relegation scare to league final with defeat of Donegal Ireland v Bulgaria, Nations League playoff 0-12 for Bennett as Waterford seal promotion against 14-man Offaly, Dublin overcome Laois FreeReaction 'When you do get a punch in the face like today, you can’t get too down' FreeDivision 1 Football League Kerry impress as Galway win sends them into league final more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. 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