Evans brothers hit out at official after card adds insult to injury
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The West Brom defender continued: “It’s different if he didn’t see it. He’s claimed he seen something that did happen which is the hardest part to take about it.
“You can’t really be 100% sure and I said that to him straight away.
“I said to him ‘ref, you have to be 100% here’. But it was too late, he has given the decision and it’s difficult to take.
“As players we can sort of tell if it’s a penalty — there was maybe only a couple of yards between Corry and Shaqiri who had the shot. If it hits someone’s hand, it takes a different kind of deflection. It stops the ball dead — to hit his back we could tell and I’m sure everyone else could tell it was a bad call.”
Corry, meanwhile, blasted the call which, thanks to the booking that accompanied it, has also ruled him out of the second leg.
“It was disgraceful,” raged Corry. “I clearly didn’t put my hand up. I know it hit me on the back of the shoulder and I’m just absolutely gutted to be honest.
“He’s booked me which means I’m out of he second leg as well which is devastating.
“These things happen and I have to get on with it.
“I’m absolutely devastated about the decision but the game in Basel is more important and I will be there to support them.”
Even though the Swiss have the lead and no team in history has ever come back to qualify after losing their first leg at home, the elder Evans sibling believes Northern Ireland are still 90 minutes away from their first World Cup finals since 1986 and Switzerland may struggle to cope with expectation.
Jonny added: “It depends on how Switzerland play themselves. Fair play to them, I thought they were very good, they passed the ball really well and they have got some good players in their team.
“I know they are the bigger nation in terms of the seeds and how good a side they are, but they have got everything to hold on to so they might come into the game with a bit of pressure on them and hopefully we can take advantage of that.” A MOMENT of controversy from referee Ovidiu Hategan has put a huge stumbling block on Northern Ireland’s road to Russia.
The Romanian official was booed and berated at the final whistle by 17,000 fuming fans who were incensed that he had awarded Switzerland a 57 th minute penalty for a handball by Corry Evans — even though television pictures showed the volley from Stoke’s Xherdan Shaqiri had struck the shoulder blade of the Blackburn Rovers midfielder.
Hategan fuelled even more anger amongst players and fans by booking Evans which rules the 27-year-old out of the return leg in Basel this weekend.
AC Milan full-back Ricardo Rodriguez took full advantage by stroking the penalty home to score a vital away goal which could prove crucial come 6.45pm on Sunday evening.
In Northern Ireland’s biggest game in Belfast since the World Cup qualifying victory over Israel 36 years ago, and on the occasion of skipper Steven Davis’ 100th cap for his country, the men in green — wearing their new retro-style shirts — struggled for large parts of this play-off as the Swiss held the momentum.
But for all their possession and endeavour, the visitors needed the assistance of the ref to break the deadlock.
Few inside Windsor Park could dispute that Switzerland deserved to win, but they did not deserve to win this way. The referee became the pivotal figure.
But where there is life, there is hope and the sense of injustice may yet lift a Northern Ireland side who did not perform as they can last night. They have one last chance now to put that right.
Kyle Lafferty, having scored nine goals in 15 appearances for club Hearts, was selected to lead the attack with Josh Magennis on the right and Stuart Dallas retaining his place ahead of the returning Jamie Ward on the left.
Switzerland’s Stoke star Shaqiri started on the right of a 4-33 formation, Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka was deployed to pull the strings in midfield while Rodriguez was the major threat down the left wing with his dangerous and tantalising crosses.
Following a raucous Windsor Park welcome of intense colour and noise, in the opening exchanges the Swiss appeared nervous and hesitant, losing possession and allowing Northern Ireland to push them back as Lafferty and Magennis attempted to impose themselves on a defence led by Juventus star Stephan Lichtsteiner.
On five minutes, Dallas showed excellent pace to beat his man on the halfway line but, as he raced towards the box, Fabian Schar was determined to make sure he wouldn’t go any further and brought him down crudely, earning the Deportivo La Coruna man a yellow card that might arguably have been red.
Northern Ireland were unable to punish the Swiss from the free kick and the Alpine visitors were invigorated with Xhaka the architect in the centre of midfield. His powerful runs and slick passing were a problem.
Similar to the Polish at Euro 2016, the visitors were targeting Conor McLaughlin at right-back with Steven Zuber and Rodriguez attempting to exploit the Millwall defender. N IRELAND: McGovern, C McLaughlin, McAuley, J Evans, Brunt, C Evans (Saville, 65 mins), Norwood, Davis, Magennis, K Lafferty (Washington, 78 mins), Dallas (Ward, 52 mins). Unused subs: Mannus, Ferguson, Hodson, Jones, Lund, McNair, Hughes, McArdle, Carroll. SWITZERLAND: Sommer, Lichtsteiner, Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez, Zakaria, Xhaka,
On 10 minutes, Switzerland threatened for the first time when Rodriguez’s cross was headed back to Blerim Dzemaili and Jonny Evans made a vital Shaqiri, Dzemaili (Frei, 83 mins), Zuber (Mehmedi, 87 mins), Seferovic (Embolo, 77 mins). Unused subs: Hitz, Lacroix, Elvedi, Lang, Freuler, E Fernandes, G Fernandes, Gavranovic, Burki.
Man of the match: Jonny Evans
Match rating: 6/10
Referee: Ovidiu Alin Hategan (Romania)
block. The ball ran out to Xhaka on the edge of the box but his shot flew over the bar.
With their fast-flowing football, the Swiss were starting to