RODRIGUEZ IS ON SPOT AGAIN

Penalty ace foils Irish at the death

IN THE end it all came down to THAT penalty.

Northern Ireland’s World Cup dream is over but they went out with all guns blazing on a dramatic evening at rain-soaked St Jakob-Park in Basel, while cursing Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan.

Switzerland boasted before the game that Hategan’s controversial decision to award a penalty for Corry Evans’ handball in the first leg wouldn’t matter because they would make their superiority tell in the second.

But they didn’t count on the remarkable spirit Michael O’Neill’s squad have shown time and time again.

However, after 180 minutes of a pulsating play-off action, the gutwrenching fact for the Irish is that the much-debated spot-kick was all that separated the two teams as Switzerland claimed the ticket for Russia next summer.

Ricardo Rodriguez was the Swiss hero and Irish heart-breaker.

Not only did the AC Milan left-back keep his nerve to convert the spot-kick in Belfast, he was also in the right place when he cleared Jonny Evans’ header off the line in added time.

The Swiss stumbled over the line and into their fourth successive World Cup finals – but they knew they had been given an almighty scrap. And the Irish made a nonsense of all the pre-game talk about making a cautious start by showing more attacking threat in the first 10 minutes than they did in the entire first leg.

Chris Brunt had a trademark blockbuster tipped over by Yan Sommer, while Stuart Dallas also went close.

Heroics

The Irish responded to O’Neill’s positive team selection and demand to press their opponents higher up the pitch and improve their ball retention with a much better display than at Windsor Park.

But only the goalkeeping heroics of Michael McGovern and some more poor finishing from the Swiss ensured they were not dead and buried by the break.

McGovern saved well from Xherdan Shaqiri and Steven Zuber, while the Irish were hugely relieved that Haris Seferovic continued his first-leg nightmare by fluffing three first-half chances.

As the pitch cut up in the pouring rain, the Swiss continued to miss chances to give the Irish hope.

And the visitors thought they had got the goal they needed when Conor Washington headed just wide after a quick break.

George Saville then scooped a shot straight at Sommer as the Swiss grew increasingly worried their party would fall flat.

Those nerves were close to breaking point when O’Neill sent defensive giant Gareth McAuley up front alongside sub Josh Magennis for the last few minutes. The hapless Seferovic could have sealed it for the Swiss but fired a simple chance over the bar. But the Swiss were celebrating at the final whistle thanks to that dramatic Rodriguez clearance in added time. The Irish players sank to their knees at the end but whatever the future holds for them they should be proud. You can be sure a certain Romanian referee will not be on their Christmas card list. SWITZERLAND (4-2-3-1): Sommer; Lichsteiner, Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Zakaria, Xhaka; Shaqiri (Freuler 80), Dzemaili (Mehmedi 61), Zuber; Seferovic (Embolo 86). NORTHERN IRELAND (4-5-1): McGovern; Hughes, McAuley, Evans, Brunt; Ward (Jones 74), Davis, Norwood (Magennis 75), Saville, Dallas; Washington (McNair 82). Referee: Felix Brych (Germany).