In an action-packed International Friendly on 22nd March 2023, the Republic of Ireland held off Latvia with a close 3-2 victory. This game was loaded with aggressive plays from both sides, with Ireland edging out Latvia in terms of goals and maintaining considerable supremacy in terms of corner kicks – a commanding 10 to Latvia's paltry single kick.

Ireland stormed off the line early, with two goals in the first half within just about 22 minutes. The opening goal came barely 16 minutes into the first half, setting the tone for their attack early on. The second goal followed shortly, within 5 minutes and 44 seconds. However, Latvia wasn't just an idle audience – they retaliated with two timely goals, with their first at around 33 minutes and the second just before the half-time whistle. This quick succession of goals from both teams kept the momentum of the match intense and balanced, however, it was the Republic of Ireland who had displayed a more aggressive offensive strategy.

As the second half kicked off, the crowd witnessed a more calculated approach from both sides. However, the home team once again took control with a tie-breaking third goal at the 64th-minute mark. Despite Latvia’s efforts, the score remained the same till the final whistle, handing the Republic of Ireland a much-deserved 3-2 victory.

Latvia's performance was marred by lack of discipline as they received one yellow card in the second half after Ireland's final goal. In contrast, the home nation played a cleaner game with no cards to their name. In terms of fouls, both teams were evenly matched with Ireland committing 2 and Latvia 3, reflecting close yet aggressive competition.

Analyzing the general flow of the match, Ireland's ability to convert corner kicks taking an impressive 10, might have kept Latvia's goalie continuously on edge during the game compared to Latvia's single, failed attempt. This parallels with the goal statistics, where Ireland was able to surpass Latvia by a narrow margin.

In conclusion, despite Latvia's firm resistance, the Republic of Ireland's dominance in offensive opportunities, clean gameplay and better conversion of set-piece chances contributed largely to the favourable outcome. This match stands as a testament to Ireland's tactical prowess and coordinated teamwork.

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