The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Irish eyes are smiling again
Stoke forward Walters at the double to secure berth at finals
Jonathan Walters returned from suspension to lead the Republic of Ireland into the Euro 2016 finals with a priceless double which ended Bosnia-Herzegovina’s hopes in Dublin.
Walters converted a 24th-minute penalty after defender Ervin Zukanovic was harshly penalised for hand ball, and then volleyed home a second 20 minutes from time to complete a 2-0 victory on the night and a 3-1 aggregate win.
Bosnia- Herzegovina tried to find away back into the tie, but Edin Dzeko and his team- mates simply could not find a way past the Irish defence.
Midfielder Jeff Hendrick was prominent as Ireland attempted to take the game to Bosnia from the off.
The home side found a way behind the Bosnian rearguard with nine minutes gone when Daryl Murphy, Hendrick and Wes Hoolahan combined to play in Robbie Brady, whose cross was blocked by goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. Captain Glenn Whelan had to scramble the ball away deep inside his own penalty area after dangerman Miralem Pjanic had surged into an attack, but it took a solid header by defender Zukanovic to clear Brady’s 15th-minute cross after he had exchanged passes with Hendrick.
Central defender Emir Spahic was booked for a rash 20th- minute challenge on Hendrick.
The home side took the lead in controversial circumstances four minutes later when, after Zukanovic had been adjudged to have handled Murphy’s cross and Walters sent former Stoke team-mate Begovic the wrong way from the spot to open the scoring.
The visitors responded swiftly with Dzeko getting his first sight of goal with 26 minutes gone, but dragging his shot into the sidenetting by Darren Randolph’s near post.
Midfielder Edin Visca, the man who caused Ireland so many problems in Zenica, did so once again 13 minutes before the break when he crossed, but Ciaran Clark’s block diverted the ball back.
The home side was presented with a free kick in a dangerous area when the ball struck Zukanovic’s arm once again, this time 25 yards out, but Brady thumped it straight into the defensive wall.
Hendrick skewed a shot wide of Begovic’s goal after James McCarthy had prevented Visca from racing clear in the middle of the park with the game still finely balanced. The away side’s hopes, were shattered when Ognjen Vranjes could only help Brady’s free kick on to the far post, where Walters volleyed home his second goal.
The Aviva Stadium was a wall of sound as the home supporters started to believe the job was done and their team was on the way to a second successive European championships. They might have extended their lead when Shane Long set off for goal with only Spahic in pursuit, but the forward could not hit the target as he was reeled in by the defender. Bosnia made a final change when forward Vedad Ibisevic replaced midfielder Lulic with 10 minutes remaining, but the game and the tie had gone.
The Republic had to defend tenaciously to secure the clean sheet they knew would have earned them their trip to France in any case as time ran down and, although Ibisevic rattled the bar with a volley deep into injury-time, they did just that to earn rapturous applause on the final whistle.
“The home side took the lead in controversial circumstances”