MKHITARYAN PROVES ARMENIA’S HERO
UEFA.com
der21/fixturesresults/round=2000006/match=2000068/ report=rp.html
Nov 17 2009
Armenia secured their first win in 2011 UEFA European Under-21
Championship qualifying thanks to Henrik Mkhitaryan’s hat-trick
against the Republic of Ireland.
Mkhitaryan feat
Both these sides had yet to taste victory in Group 2, although Ireland
had drawn four of five games and Armenia just the one. However, a
depleted Republic team were breached by Mkhitaryan on the half-hour
and he added a second on 61 minutes. Cillian Sheridan pulled one
back, only for Hovhannes Goharyan’s fine goal to be followed by a
Mkhitaryan penalty.
Spirits raised There had been frustration for both countries on
Saturday when Armenia conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to Estonia,
and Ireland were similarly levelled late on in Georgia, in 1-1
draws. Yet Armenian spirits were raised here when Mkhitaryan danced
past three defenders and his superb shot opened the scoring.
Victory sealed Just past the hour, the 20-year-old from Ukrainian club
FC Metalurh Donetsk applied a powerful finish to Edgar Malakyan’s
cross, but four minutes later Sheridan gave Ireland hope by heading
in James O’Shea’s centre. With a quarter-hour to go Goharyan struck
from 20 metres to make it 3-1 and after Malakyan was felled in the
box, Mkhitaryan completed his treble. Armenia duly moved ahead of
their visitors and into fifth place on head-to-head record, before
the sides’ rematch in Ireland on 2 March.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
