he finally managed to get a big result with the team on 11 October 2008 against Austria. The game ended 1–1, giving the Faroe Islands their first qualifying point in four years. The Brian Kerr years and the new generation (2009–2011) On 22 March 2009, the Faroese people got a glimpse of their future national team—a new generation of more technical and peaceful players— when they beat the Icelandic national team 2–1 in a friendly match, their first-ever victory over Iceland. Caretaker Heðin Askham managed the Faroese side in this match. On 5 April 2009, former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr was appointed new head coach of the team, with assistant manager Big Ed ‘the hammer’ Casey. With his charisma and Irish humour, he soon became a favourite among the Faroese football fans. On 9 September 2009, the Faroe Islands recorded their first competitive win since the 2002 World Cup qualification stage, beating Lithuania 2–1. On 11 August 2010, the Faroe Islands came close to an away win against Estonia during the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers. The Faroes took the lead in the first half with a goal by Jóan Símun Edmundsson. The score was still 1–0 after 90 minutes, but Estonia scored twice during stoppage time, and the Faroe Islands lost the match 2–1. Two months later, on 12 October 2010, the Faroe Islands drew 1–1 against the higher-ranked Northern Ireland at Svangaskarð Stadion, Toftir. Striker Christian Holst scored for the Faroes in the 60th minute before Kyle Lafferty equalised 16 minutes later for the visiting side, earning a point for both teams. On 7 June 2011, the Faroe Islands defeated Estonia 2–0 at Svangaskarð. Captain Fróði Benjaminsen opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute before Arnbjørn Hansen secured the win with a follow-up after another Benjaminsen penalty. It was the Faroe Islands' first UEFA Euro qualification win since 1995. The Faroe Islands were drawn against Kerr's former employers, the Republic of Ireland, in Group C for the 2014 World Cup Qualifying. The other teams in the group were Germany, Sweden, Austria, and Kazakhstan. The players liked the Irishman and they described him as a very motivating figure. His pre-match speeches were full of passion and gave the players confidence to go out and play against the very best in Europe. However, on 26 October 2011, the Faroe Islands Football Association (FSF) announced that