Ireland hold Serbia to thrilling 2-2 draw

BELGRADE: A spirited Ireland held Serbia to a 2-2 draw in a pulsating World Cup Group D qualifier after taking an early lead and coming from behind on a slick surface yesterday.

Substitute Daryl Murphy salvaged a point for the Irish with an 80th-minute header after Serbia wingers Filip Kostic and Dusan Tadic had cancelled out Jeff Hendrick’s early opener.

Hendrick stunned the home fans in the third minute when he beat goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic with a shot from the edge of the penalty area deflected in off Serbia captain Branislav Ivanovic.

With competitive debutant Andrija Pavlovic replacing subdued striker Aleksandar Mitrovic on the hour, Serbia found another gear and struck twice in quick succession to turn the match on its head.

Kostic levelled when he swept home a rebound from a goalmouth scramble in the 62nd minute before he won a penalty after he was hauled down by an Irish defender.

Tadic drove the spot-kick down the middle into the roof of the net in the 69th minute and Pavlovic could have netted a third, blasting his shot against the bar after Ireland keeper Darren Randolph spilled a tame Tadic effort.

Ireland had a goal controversially disallowed for offside but kept pressing and got a deserved equaliser when the bearded Murphy rose above his markers to head home a corner.

KIEV: Iceland survived a missed penalty as they began their bid to qualify for a firstever World Cup by holding Ukraine to a 1-1 draw away from home yesterday.

The visitors, who captured the imagination of millions of spectators by reaching the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, began where they had left off in France by taking a fifth minute lead through Alfred Finnbogason.

Ukraine, playing their first match under new coach Andriy Shevchenko after he replaced Mykhailo Fomenko following Euro 2016, levelled four minutes before halftime with a goal by Andriy Yarmolenko.

They took control after half-time and Yevhen Konoplyanka was close with a longrange effort which Hannes Halldorsson managed to save. The home side were awarded a penalty, but Konoplyanka’s effort shaved the outside of Halldorsson’s right post. – Reuters