Lafferty’s leveller keeps N Ireland on course

BELFAST, United Kingdom: Kyle Lafferty’s priceless late equaliser kept Northern Ireland within touching distance of an historic berth at Euro 2016 as the 10-man hosts rescued a 1-1 draw against Hungary on Monday.

Michael O’Neill’s side could have secured a first ever appearance at the European Championships with a victory at Windsor Park, but they ended a dramatic encounter relieved to avoid a potentially fatal defeat.

Their berth in next year’s finals in France looked in jeopardy after Michael McGovern’s failure to hold a routine free-kick allowed Hungary’s Richard Guzmics to put Hungary ahead with 16 minutes remaining.

To make matters worse for the Irish, Chris Baird was sent off in the closing stages.

But, displaying the tenacious spirit that has fuelled their unexpected Group F challenge, Ireland equalised deep into stoppage-time through Norwich striker Lafferty’s seventh goal of the qualifying campaign.

Northern Ireland have never qualified for the European Championships in 13 previous attempts, with even Manchester United legend George Best unable to lead his country to the continent’s international showpiece.

But Lafferty’s strike at the end of a nerve-ridden night means Ireland will qualify for a first major tournament since the 1986 World Cup if they beat lowly Greece at home match on October 8.

Placed among the fifth seeded minnows in the qualification draw, O’Neill’s group leaders have defied all expectations and sit one point ahead of Romania and four ahead of Hungary with two games left.

And exactly 10 years since a shock 1-0 win over England that still ranks as one of their greatest moments, Lafferty has kept Ireland on the verge of completing a remarkable rise from international obscurity.

RASH CHALLENGE For a while it didn’t look so promising for the hosts.

Hungary, who had only suffered one Group F defeat themselves, harboured hopes of closing the gap on the leaders and they threatened first when Balazs Dzsudzsak fired wide from 20 yards.

Lafferty then made a rash challenge that drew a booking and ruled him out of the Greece game.

The hosts went close for the first time through Olivier Norwood, whose dipping free-kick was pushed out by veteran goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.

Yet Kiraly’s trademark tracksuit bottoms showed few signs of grass stains in the first half as O’Neill’s team laboured to prise open the well-drilled Hungarian rearguard. As the game wore on, Hungary’s incisive counter-attacks posed more danger to a sometimes creaky Irish defence — AFP

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