Evan Ferguson on target as Republic of Ireland hit back to beat Bulgaria again

Evan Ferguson scored his first goal since November as the Republic of Ireland preserved their Nations League B status with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Bulgaria.

Ferguson, currently on loan at West Ham from Brighton, claimed his fifth senior international goal with 27 minutes remaining before substitute Adam Idah struck after coming off the bench to secure a 2-1 play-off second-leg win at the Aviva Stadium to go with the one which Ireland returned from Plovdiv with on Thursday.

Defender Jake O’Brien might have marked his first competitive start in style when he met Robbie Brady’s fourth-minute corner with a firm downward header, but saw keeper Plamen Iliev make a good reaction save.

With winger Mikey Johnston terrorising the Bulgarians down the right and linking well with Ferguson, Troy Parrott and Finn Azaz – defender Simeon Petrov had earlier had to make a timely block to prevent Johnston from finishing off a flowing move he had started – Ireland were firmly in the ascendancy.

Parrott turned a 24th-minute Brady cross on to the foot of the post as Ireland responded, but it was the visitors who took the lead on the half-hour when, after Georgi Milanov’s volley from Kiril Despodov’s corner had been block by Nathan Collins, Antov stabbed the loose ball past Caoimhin Kelleher, his side’s first attempt on goal.

Johnston should have done better after being played into space by Parrott with 49 minutes gone, but screwed his right-foot shot well wide, and the West Brom midfielder saw another attempt smothered at source three minutes later after linking well with Parrott and Ferguson.

Azaz fired wide after O’Brien had headed down a Brady free-kick and Iliev clawed Ferguson’s 55th-minute strike out of his bottom corner after Parrott had robbed Petrov with chances – or at least half-chances – coming thick and fast.

Kelleher made his first save of the night when he plucked Nurnberger’s shot out of the air two minutes later, and his side was back in it after 63 minutes when Ferguson played a beautifully executed one-two with Azaz before lashing the ball into the roof of the net.

Ireland wrapped up victory with six minutes remaining when Azaz set Mark Sykes away down the left and he turned back inside before clipping the ball to the far post for fellow substitute Idah to volley home.