...but he IS up for the Ballon d’Or
West Brom winger fires O’Neill’s men into the play-offs
HARRY KANE has been named on a 30-man shortlist for the 2017 Ballon d’Or award. The Tottenham and England star has had a superb year, scoring 43 times in 37 appearances for club and country, helping Mauricio Pochettino’s team qualify for the Champions League and England for next summer’s World Cup finals. His two goals as captain secured
England successive victories against Slovenia and Lithuania. Kane is the only Englishman among seven Premier League players to make the cut. He is joined by David de Gea, N’Golo Kante, Kevin De Bruyne, Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Eden Hazard.
IT WAS the kind of goal players and supporters alike will see in their very best dreams for years to come. A low cross from the right, a dummy at the near post and a jackhammer of a strike by James McClean from 15 yards.
The Welsh will see this in their nightmares. The throw out from goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey just before the hour asked too many questions of his captain Ashley Williams and when he lost out to Jeff Hendrick on the touchline, the platform was there for a moment comprising disaster and triumph in equal measure.
There was still much for Hendrick to do but the way the Burnley player shrugged off the hulking Williams, kept the ball in and then delivered a cross of accuracy and power on the run was typical of Ireland’s efforts on a night of high drama.
When the ball arrived at the near post, Harry Arter’s dummy was born of supreme intelligence. It looked like a training ground move and, if it was, McClean clearly knew what was coming.
With the Wales defence wrongfooted and out of position, the West Bromwich winger applied a first-time finish of such confidence and sure technique with his flashing right foot that it is debatable Hennessey even saw the ball as it flew past him low to his left.
So one World Cup dream is dead and another lives on.
Wales will not have the chance to grace Russia as they did France in the last European Championship. That is a shame and maybe the absence of Gareth Bale and the concussion suffered by Joe Allen in the first half simply provided too big an obstacle.
But credit Martin O’Neill’s Ireland for their pluck, resilience and organisation. They were second favourites when this game began and not much of what we saw in the first half changed that. But Ireland provided the one moment of real quality in an attritional game and nobody will want to face them in the play-offs now.
Ireland still have much to do to get to Russia next summer as they now face a two- legged tie — possibly even against Northern Ireland.
The draw will be made a week today and what anticipation will accompany it.
Some potential opponents look particularly hazardous but this performance will have done wonders for Irish confidence.
This was Wales’ first competitive defeat since they went down to Portugal in the semi-finals of Euro 2016 and that says everything for the Republic’s achievement. If they prove as hard to break down as they did here, they will have a chance.
In some ways, both these teams can provide something of an example for England. Both have finished their campaign in Group D having squeezed almost as much as they can out of it. Can England say the same? Sadly not.
Wales and the Republic both work off the back of a paucity of resources and both have achieved much under their current managers over the last two or three years. O’Neill is the one to move forward and Wales’ Chris Coleman must now decide whether to stay where he is or return to club football.
His team did what they could in front of a raucous and emotional crowd. The football was modest at best but there was nothing wrong with the atmosphere.
Early on, Wales were the better team. Bale may have been missing but as the Welsh full backs pushed on, Allen and Aaron Ramsey were given space to work and look for the passes that would open up the Ireland defence.
There were half-chances but no more. Hal Robson-Kanu headed over and Ramsey was denied by goalkeeper Darren Randolph from distance.
But as Ireland finally found a way into the game, Allen went off with concussion after becoming the meat in an Irish sandwich comprising McClean and David Meyler. It felt significant at the time and did not help the home team.
They began the second half strongly and Randolph leaped well to touch over another header from Robson-Kanu. Then left back Ben Davies couldn’t keep his header down from the corner which followed.
That was actually the best chance Wales had but soon the moment was swallowed up by what happened at the other end.
It is hard to decide whose error was the greater, Hennessey’s or Williams’. Perhaps it doesn’t really matter. All that mattered is what it meant.
Roared on by the crowd, Wales responded with gusto but without Bale they had lacked cutting edge. What really took the wind from their sails was news of a goal by Croatia against Ukraine in Group I.
That meant a draw would no longer be enough to secure Wales a play- off spot as one of the best runners-up so throughout six minutes of added time we witnessed the peculiar spectacle of a team hunting a goal that would serve only to eliminate both teams.
Battered by the storm, the Irish defence held out and the celebrations that followed were worth watching.
If O’Neill’s team do make it to Russia, the chances are that half of the Republic will go with them.