McClean stuns Wales and sends Ireland into play-offs

Wales

0 1 way, even during the pockets of action when it was struggling for real structure.

Everything was so quick and adrenaline-fuelled in the opening half the crowd managed to work themselves into a frenzy without a great deal happening. The pace was so hectic when maybe it would have benefited from someone with the guile to put a foot on the ball and deliberately slow it down. Joe Allen might have been that man but his involvement lasted only 37 minutes after he was clattered between two opponents in what looked suspiciously looked like a deliberate attempt to subdue one of the more influential Welsh players. McClean was involved again but the real damage was inflicted by David Meyler as the two Irish players came in from either side. Allen was caught in the middle of this sandwich and seemed to have been concussed before being led, gingerly, off the pitch.

O’Neill’s players chased everything. They were quick in the tackle, held out during a prolonged spell of early pressure, and did all the things that are regarded as essential for wearers of that shirt. True, there was not a great deal of refinement throughout the first half. Yet it was clear that they would have to attack more purposefully after the interval and it was a beautifully taken goal that changed the complexion of the match.

Republic of Ireland 4-3-2-1 Randolph■; Christie, Duffy, Clark■, Ward; Hendrick, Meyler■, Arter (Whelan, 77); Brady, McClean; Murphy■ (K Long, 90). Doyle, Elliot, O’Shea, Keogh, McGeady, Hogan, O’Dowda, Hoolahan, Hourihane, Maguire.

D Skomina (Svn)

For the Wales goalkeeper, Wayne Hennessey, however, it was a personal ordeal bearing in mind it started with his throw putting Ashley Williams in trouble. Williams has had a difficult start to the season for Everton and, straight away, he looked vulnerable. Jeff Hendrick was on him in a flash, taking the ball and then spinning down the right touchline. His cross was aimed towards Harry Arter and McClean was coming in from behind. Arter’s dummy was exquisite and McClean struck his right-foot shot, first-time. He is a leftfooted player naturally but he caught this one perfectly, arrowing his shot into the bottom corner.

Until that point, it was the team in red who had showed more guile, even hampered by the absence of the injured Bale. Jonny Williams, Allen’s replacement, was prominently involved and a few minutes before the goal his cross had given Hal Robson-Kanu the first clear chance of the night. The striker’s header was powerful but Ireland’s goalkeeper, Darren Randolph, jutted out an arm and diverted the ball over the crossbar.

The anguished screams when James Chester’s header flashed into the sidenetting told another story about the tension and, up in the stands, Bale was on his feet, thinking it was in.

It was not and in that dramatic last half an hour how his team missed him. summer’s finals. The scalp of Wales, who had not lost a competitive match on home soil for four years, has now been added to the collection.

Chris Coleman had predicted beforehand that it would be a “toeto-toe fight”, yet the Wales manager never bargained on James McClean, returning from suspension, landing the knockout blow. Behind for the first time in this qualifying campaign, Wales found themselves in unfamiliar territory as Ireland, resilient and tenacious, executed their game-plan to perfection

The stage had been set for this evening long before a ball was kicked. The bars around Mill Lane, in the heart of Cardiff city centre, were awash with supporters, including plenty from Ireland singing about their “boys in green”. The sense of anticipation was tangible, a mixture of nervous energy and giddy excitement that spectacularly came together just before kick-off during the stirring renditions of the national anthems.

Outnumbered by about 10 to one, Ireland certainly made their voices heard, yet it was never going to be any match for what followed. “Sing it like you’ve never sung it before,” the public announcer said over the tannoy as 30,000 Wales supporters cleared their throats. Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau – Land of My Fathers – reverberated around the stadium a cappella as Wales took a leaf out of Brazil’s book at the last World Cup. Who needs a microphone or a band?

It was spine-tingling stuff and it felt almost inevitable that Coleman’s players would feed off of that raw emotion in the early stages. Wales dominated possession, hogging 75% of the ball in the opening half-hour, and Ireland sat deep with tactics that followed the pre-match script to the letter. The atmosphere was electric, yet the game itself was low on quality and badly missing a spark.