Irish hopes of qualification from Group E are almost certainly over after defeat to the Netherlands at the Aviva Stadium tonight. 

A spirited Irish team cannot be faulted for lack of effort, but despite Idah giving them the lead from the spot after four minutes, fell just short as Gakpo equalised and Weghorst came off the bench to score the winner.

Pre match it already felt like max pressure on Stephen Kenny but this defeat will raise serious questions as three points from the opening five games in European qualification will not suffice. 

Greece and Gibraltar await in the October international break, but who will be at the helm will remain to be seen. 

The rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann pre match really captured the importance of this tie, and in the early moments of the match the players showed that they were as up for it as the fans were.

Within the first two minutes Ireland had a major opportunity to take the lead, Idah putting pressure on the Dutch passing out from the back and turning over 12 yards out, but he couldn’t turn and shoot himself, laying off the Ogbene who saw his effort blocked.

McClean stepped up and whipped a delicious corner into the mix which struck the outstretched arm of Van Dijk, the referee pointed to the spot with no hesitation. 

Up stepped Adam Idah, and smashed low and hard into the bottom right corner, sending Flekken the wrong way, to give Ireland the dream start and send the Aviva into raptures. 

Ireland kept the pressure up, but just before the 20 minute mark a moment of quality from Gakpo changed the game. The Liverpool winger picked up the ball and played an incredible defence splitting pass, which Dumfries ran onto, but was met by the onrushing Bazunu who committed the foul in the area. 

Gakpo took the responsibility on and despite the raucous noise of Lansdowne Road, cooly slotted into the corner past Bazunu to bring the Dutch to level terms. 

Despite the equaliser, Ireland remained the better team barring a few minute spell midway through the half. Ogbene against Ake on the right was proving an intriguing battle, with the Irishman forcing a number of corners, all which McClean delivered teasingly but unfortunately from an Irish perspective could not be converted. 

The biggest threat as the half wore on for the Dutch was coming from Donyell Malen down their right, twice the Dortmund player got in behind but twice Bazunu was able to prevent him giving his side the lead, as the sides went in at the break level. 

The second half continued to be an enthralling fixture, as it remained open. Koeman turned to his bench bringing on Wout Weghort, and was rewarded inside ten minutes. 

Frenkie De Jong played a delightful dinked pass over the top to Dumfries running in at the back post who pulled back to Weghorst, and the half time sub made no mistake giving his side the lead for the first time on the night.

De Jong deserves a lot of plaudits for his impact in the goal, and as the Irish tired he grew more into the game, dropping in to space to receive the ball and move it around to great effect. 

Stephen Kenny did change the shape in the latter stages of the game to try get back into it, including going to a back four whilst introducing Will Smallbone into the middle of the park. 

Despite Ireland holding some sustained pressure and possession in the final stages of the half, the Dutch looked comfortable at the back, even with the towering Shane Duffy now up there. 

Into five additional minutes, the Irish just could not seem to fashion one opportunity on goal, despite the introduction of Sinclair Armstrong to make his senior debut late on. 

The football on the pitch looks so promising, but it's a results business, and unfortunately, the Kenny era of Irish football is in deep deep trouble.