Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland’s Qatar dream dies with Lewis red card
QATAR is 3,500 miles from Belfast but it will feel a world away today after 10-man Northern Ireland’s painful 2-0 defeat to Switzerland at Stade de Geneve.
A bitter taste of defeat came laced with a strong sense of grievance after Jamal Lewis picked up a second booking and a red card for time wasting at a throw-in in the 37th minute.
Sky Sports pundit Neil Lennon branded Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic’s decision “shambolic” while former defender Stephen Craigan called it “horrendous”.
“It is an absolutely diabolical decision and it has changed the course of the game,” said Baraclough. “It has ruined the game.
“He brings out the yellow card and he’s not realised he has booked him earlier and he can’t go back on his decision. It’s a terrible decision.”
Asked if he had spoken to the Slovenian referee on full-time, Baraclough said: “I didn’t get to speak to the officials because they just don’t want to listen.
“There is no talking, so that’s the annoying thing. You want an explanation. They know they have made a mistake.”
Last night’s loss all but ended Baraclough’s hopes of securing a top-two finish in Group C and gatecrashing next year’s World Cup in Qatar via the playoffs.
The Swiss, who play bottom seeds Lithuania on Tuesday, are now six points clear of Northern Ireland, who are playing catch-up in third, with only three games left in the pool.
It isn’t mathematically over, but Baraclough and his players suddenly have a mountain to climb.
“We have to make sure we are in the shake-up if Switzerland make a mistake,” he said. “They have to play Italy before we do, and if they slip-up we have to be in a position to capitalise.”
In the Sky Sports studio prior to kick-off, former Celtic boss Neil Lennon had branded the game “definitely must not lose and borderline must win’.
And that was a fair summary of the stark equation confronting Baraclough and his players who travel to face Bulgaria in Sofia on Tuesday night.
A testing night awaited the visitors against a Swiss side boosted by Xherdan Shaqiri’s return and with just one defeat in 90 minutes in their last 15 outings. And their task became Alp like when Newcastle United left-back Lewis picked up a second yellow card for time wasting seven minutes before the break.
To call it harsh would be an understatement. Only 17 seconds passed between Lewis picking up the ball at a throw-in and the Slovenian referee reaching for his pocket.
Sky Sports co-commentator Stephen Craigan branded the decision “disgraceful”. “That is a horrendous decision,” he said. “There’s no doubt he has reacted to the crowd and the whistles and jeers from the home fans, but the referee has to be better than that.”
Former Northern Ireland midfielder Lennon added: “It is shambolic. I have never seen a player get booked for time wasting in 36 minutes in any game in my life.
“It’s an absolute embarrassment.” If that was a blow, Northern Ireland were on the canvas three minutes into first-half added time when Zuber opened the scoring with his 10th international goal.
And salt was rubbed in the wound when Christian Fassnacht put the result beyond doubt with a counter attacking strike in the 91st minute.