The Slovakia players are bouncing around on the field, as euphoric as it possible to be without entering Class A. To say it’s been emotional would be an understatement. Both teams worked incredibly; by the end, half the Northern Ireland team were struggling with cramp. The match could have gone either way - Kyle Lafferty hit the post in the last minute of normal time - but Northern Ireland will reflect on two avoidable goals. To borrow a phrase from our own Daniel Harris: hell, bloody football.
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Full time: Northern Ireland 1-2 Slovakia
Slovakia have done it! Michal Duris’s late goal has shattered Northern Ireland and taken Slovakia to another European Championship.
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120+1 min Three added minutes. Half the Northern Ireland team can’t run now because of cramp.
120 min: What a chance for Evans! Peacock-Farrell took the free-kick, with all the outfield players forward. It was headed out the right wing and dumped back into the area, where Evans had a free header six yards from goal. But he had to stretch - he couldn’t jump possibly, I think because of cramp - and could only plant it straight at Rodak.
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120 min Lafferty is fouled 40 yards from goal. This is Northern Ireland’s last chance.
118 min Slovakia bring on a defender, Norbert Gyomber, for a midfielder, Rusnak.
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117 min Hrosovsky is down holding his head after an aerial challenge with Boyce. Northern Ireland think he’s faking it, and there’s a bit of pushing and shoving. Boyce is booked, as is Rodak.
116 min I think Davis has pulled his hamstring. Whatever it is, Northern Ireland are effectively down to 10 men.
115 min Davis slips while taking a free-kick and pulls a muscle in the process. Now he can barely run. Northern Ireland have used all six substitutes.
114 min Pekarik calmly chests the ball back to Rodak, despite being surrounded by Northern Ireland players.
111 min Both Slovakia goals were eminently avoidable. I know teams say that about almost every goal they concede but it’s been especially true tonight.
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Kucka’s ball forward from the right hit the back of Evans, who was running towards his own goal, and ran into the path of Duris, 25 yards from goal. He pushed it away from Evans, into the area, and whistled a low drive past Peacock-Farrell at the near post. It was a good strike but I’m not sure Peacock-Farrell should have been beaten.
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GOAL! Northern Ireland 1-2 Slovakia (Duris 110)
Slovakia are in front again!
108 min A quiet start to the second period of extra-time. A goal for either team would be against the run of play - all the players look understandably knackered.
106 min Peep peep!
Slovakia make a half-time change: the weary Marek Hamsik is replaced by Jan Gregus.
Half time in extra time: Northern Ireland 1-1 Slovakia
Peep peep! The smart money is on penalties; even the vaguely sentient money is on penalties. Both teams have run themselves into the ground.
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105+1 min: Chance for Slovakia! Duris crosses from the left towards Mraz at the near post. He holds the ball up and lays it off to Hamsik, who shoots straight at Peacock-Farrell on the stretch. The pass from Mraz - I think it was him - was slightly behind Hamsik.
105 min Northern Ireland have used all six substitutions now. I think six is all you’re allowed. I’ll level with you: I’m not entirely sure.
104 min McNair is desperate to continue, but it’s not possible. He’s replaced by Shane Ferguson, which means Stuart Dallas completes the return trip from right back, where he started the game, to left wing.
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103 min McNair is really struggling with cramp.
101 min Dallas’s mishit volley is helped towards goal by Lafferty. Rodak makes a comfortable save.
101 min McNair’s corner is headed away by Kucka.
100 min Lafferty’s hold-up and link play has been excellent since he came on. Northern Ireland have been less one-dimensional as a result, and a nice touch from Lafferty allows Boyce to win a corner...
98 min Cathcart is replaced by Flanagan.
97 min Cathcart is down holding his ground, and it looks like he’ll have to go off. Tom Flanagan is ready to replace him.
96 min It’s been a game of few chances and many moodswings. At the moment Northern Ireland are on top, though Slovakia are due a spell of being in control.
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93 min Dallas’s throw is headed on at the near post by Cathcart, which leads to an impromptu game of head tennis in the Slovakia area. Eventually somebody nuts it clear.
93 min McNair’s corner is cleared as far as Whyte, who gives it back to McNair. His cross is blocked and goes out of play, which means another chance for Dallas to Delap one into the area.
92 min Whyte wins a corner for Northern Ireland, who have made a strong start to extra time.
91 min Peep peep! Northern Ireland begin the first period of extra time.
Full time: Northern Ireland 1-1 Slovakia
Peep peep! We should have known all along that it would go to extra time. See you in a couple of minutes for more exquisite tension.
90+3 min Slovakia keep the ball for a minute or so. This is so tense.
90+2 min There have been times in this game when Slovakia have looked a class above Northern Ireland. But there have also been periods, especially at either end of the second half, that they have almost been overwhelmed by the intensity of Northern Ireland’s play. It’s been a fascinating study in contrasts.
90+1 min Four minutes of added time.
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90 min: Lafferty hits the post! This is spine-tingling stuff. Lafferty receives the ball on the edge of the D, moves onto his right foot and hits a blistering low shot that beats the diving Rodak and thumps off the outside of the post. In the context of his personal tragedy, that would have been an incredible story.
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89 min Skriniar had to go for the ball, with Boyce waiting behind him to equalise. I actually thought McNair might have been pushed, and was looking at the referee when Skriniar sliced it past Rodak. It was a majestic, carpe diem surge from McNair.
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Paddy McNair surged thrillingly into the area from the right and crossed low to the near post, where the under pressure Skriniar sliced the ball into his own net!
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GOAL! Northern Ireland 1-1 Slovakia (Skriniar 88 og)
Northern Ireland have done it!!!
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86 min Lafferty misses a great chance, mistiming a free header from eight yards! It skims off his head, hits Pekarik and rebounds to McNair, whose shot is brilliantly blocked by Hrosovksy!
84 min A change for Slovakia: Samuel Mraz replaces Duda.
84 min A lovely touch from Lafferty releases Dallas on the left, but he overruns the ball slightly and then overhits his cross under pressure.
83 min Lewis digs out a superb cross from the left that flashes across the face of goal and is cleared at the far post.
83 min Dallas has three long throws in quick succession; the goalscorer Kucka heads the last one away.
81 min Hrosovsky plays a nice one-two but shoots well wide from distance. Slovakia’s substitutes, Hrosovsky and Duris, have looked bright on the ball.
79 min Northern Ireland are rousing themselves for one last push. They’ve switched to 4-4-2 now, with Lafferty and Boyce up front.
77 min A double change for Northern Ireland. Kyle Lafferty and Liam Boyce replace McGinn and Magennis.
76 min Dallas’s cross is punched away by Rodak, who took no chances after his earlier fumbles.
75 min Slovakia are keeping the ball extremely well, which means Northern Ireland can’t get anything like the momentum they had at the start of the second half.
72 min Kyle Lafferty is about to come on.
71 min Duris has another shot blocked by Dallas. This is looking a bit ominous for Northern Ireland.
69 min Hrosovsky pings a sweet crossfield pass to the other substitute Duris on the left. He nutmegs Dallas and hits a shot that is blocked.
68 min Slovakia are passing the clock down quite comfortably at the moment. Northern Ireland were so good at the start of the second half, but it looks like they may have run themselves out of contention.
66 min Duda is booked for a forearm smash on Evans. The crowd wanted him sent off; it was probably somewhere between a yellow and a red.
66 min Northern Ireland also make a double change: Washington and Saville are replaced by Jordan Thompson and Gavin Whyte.
65 min In other news.
65 min A double change for Slovakia: Michal Duris and Patrik Hrosovsky replace Mak and Lobotka.
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63 min A fierce long-range shot from Kucka swirls a few yards wide. Peacock-Farrell had it covered, though it was a sweet strike.
62 min Slovakia have started to calm the game down after a tumultuous start to the second half. Northern Ireland put so much into the first 10 minutes; they look like a boxer taking a round off.
60 min: Just wide from Rusnak! It wouldn’t have counted because of an offside against Pekarik in the build-up, but that was an excellent effort from Rusnak. He cut inside Lewis and drilled a low left-footed drive into the side-netting at the near post.
58 min Duda is fouled by Davis, 35 yards from goal. Davis gets an accidental elbow in his face as well.
56 min It’s still all Northern Ireland. Whether by design or necessity, Slovakia are defending very deep and look like a 1-0 win is the only thing on their mind.
53 min: Chance for Washington! Lobotka is robbed by McGinn, 30 yards from goal. He moves towards the area and plays in Washington, who controls the ball and slaps a half-volley straight at Rodak from 15 yards. It wasn’t a clear chance - the ball was slightly behind him - but it was probably Northern Ireland’s best of the match.
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51 min Saville, trying to make up for his first-half mistake, shoots well wide from 25 yards.
50 min Northern Ireland are pressing much higher up the pitch. Slovakia are trying to play through it but at the moment they look a bit rattled.
49 min McGinn’s cross is headed away bravely at the near post by Satka. Northern Ireland’s tempo and intensity have been much better since half-time.
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48 min McGinn dumps another cross in towards Rodak, who takes this one cleanly and with authority.
46 min A lightning start to the second half from Northern Ireland. The keeper Rodak is all over the show, first from a long throw and then from Magennis’s lofted cross, but he just about gets away with it.
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46 min Peep peep! Northern Ireland begin the second half; there are no substitutions on either side.
Half time: Northern Ireland 0-1 Slovakia
Peep peep! Slovakia lead through Jujra Kucka’s early goal, which came after an untimely mix-up between George Saville and Jonny Evans. It’s been a pretty even game - Kucka’s was the only shot on target - but Northern Ireland need more penetration. See you in 15 minutes for the second half.
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44 min: Chance for McGinn! Lobotka plays a square pass straight to McGinn, 30 yards from goal. He moves to the edge of the D before whipping a shot over the bar; I’m not sure he needed to shoot that early.
43 min This is Northern Ireland’s best spell of the half. McGinn’s dangerous inswinging cross is excellently headed away by Satka, under pressure from Magennis.
40 min Evans finds the wandering Dallas in a bit of space 25 yards from goal. He moves the ball onto his left foot but drags a low shot well wide. On the plus side, his arm seems okay now.
38 min A quiet spell in the game.
35 min Dallas is still on the field despite that arm problem, and he’s even taking long throws. One of them leads to a bit of a scramble on the edge of the Slovakia area, with McNair eventually having a shot blocked.
34 min Northern Ireland have look dangerous on occasion, especially from set pieces, but they are struggling to put Slovakia under any sustained pressure.
31 min Duda’s corner is dropped by Peacock-Farrell, who is very relieved to grab it at the second attempt.
30 min Mak zips into the area from the left and hits a shot that deflects a few yards wide. Northern Ireland surely can’t afford to go 2-0 down.
28 min Dallas is holding his right arm tight to his chest whenever he is not involved in the play. Football is bloody cruel sometimes - his 50th cap, one of the biggest games of his career, and it looks like it will be over inside half an hour.
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27 min Dallas is coming back on, although I’m not sure how long he’ll last.
26 min It looked like an innocuous challenge with Hubocan, but Dallas is in serious pain and Conor McLaughlin is getting ready to replace him.
25 min Stuart Dallas is off the field receiving treatment for what looks like an injury to his right arm. This is a huge worry for Northern Ireland.
23 min Northern Ireland have responded very well to going behind. It would have been natural to sulk for a few minutes, especially as it was such an avoidable goal.
22 min McNair’s superb corner from the right skims off the head of Magennis in the six-yard box before hitting a defender and bouncing into Rodak’s arms. At first that looked like a great chance for Magennis, but he was at full stretch so that’s probably why he didn’t get a proper contact on the ball.
21 min McGinn’s mishit cross almost sneaks into the net! Rodak, backpedalling desperately, palms it over the bar.
20 min Magennis is fouled on the left wing, which allows Northern Ireland to pack the penalty area. McNair’s free-kick is headed away by Hubocan.
It was a hideous goal for Northern Ireland concede. Saville, on the halfway line, tried to head the ball back towards Evans but got too much on it. That allowed Kucka to surge past the flat-footed Evans and into the area before finishing with a cool sidefoot into the bottom corner.
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GOAL! Northern Ireland 0-1 Slovakia (Kucka 17)
Slovakia take the lead out of nothing!
16 min The right-back Pekarik - who looks a real threat going forward - moseys infield, picks up a loose ball and moves ominously into the area. His opposite number Dallas comes across to make a vital clearance.
15 min Ian Baraclough is scribbling something in his notepad, and now I have Jackie Treehorn on the brain.
14 min Hamsik is getting on the ball a bit too often for Ian Baraclough’s liking. He’s 33 now but still a class above everyone else on the pitch.
13 min Both teams have started watchfully, which reflects the importance of their game but also their iffy recent form.
11 min “I’m here, mostly,” says Tony Hughes. “Scotsman, who lives in USA, but loves Northern Ireland. Flicking between the two games. Seems like a decent atmos; not quite a Linfield home game but for 1k fans, not bad.”
Boos have never sounded so beautiful.
9 min The first half chance for Slovakia. A brilliant crossfield pass finds Pekarik near the corner flag on the right. He pulls the ball back to Rusnak, lurking on the edge of the area. He zig-zags into a bit of space and drives over the bar from 18 yards. It was a decent effort but Peacock-Farrell had it covered.
8 min Lewis’s high, hanging cross from the left is headed back across goal by McNair, and Rodak grabs the ball in front of Magennis. Northern Ireland have had less of the ball but look more dangerous with it.
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6 min Northern Ireland win the first corner of the match down the right. McNair’s outswinger is headed away.
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3 min Washington, put through on the right by Magennis, drags a cross-shot well wide. He was offside anyway, though the flag didn’t go up until after he’d taken the shot.
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3 min To the surprise of precisely nobody, it’s been a cagey start to the game. Slovakia have had most of the possession, much of it in their own half.
2 min The noise is wonderful. It honestly sounds like there are about 10,000 people at Windsor Park.
1 min Peep peep! Slovakia, in white, kick off from right to left. Northern Ireland are in their green 1986 homage. By the way, VAR is being used.
The players emerge to the sweet sound of actual fans cheering and clapping. There are only 1,060, but they’re already making a fair old noise.
A calm-looking Ian Baraclough speaks “[What has been your final message to the players?] Just do what we’ve worked on, believe in what we can do, believe in each other. There’s a true spirit among the group, and it’s one of those nights: go and make yourself a hero. We need calm heads, but we’re at home so we want to set the tone early.
“Josh [Magennis] can cause problems on the left, and then by becoming the second striker when the ball’s on the other side. We’ve tried not to worry about Slovakia too much - that’s their business [changing their manager]. If we perform anywhere near as well as we think we can, we’ll be well in the game.”
The match will go extra-time and penalties if necessary. It may well be necessary; both teams won their semi-final that way.
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The first of tonight’s four play-offs has been decided - North Macedonia have qualified for their first major tournament after a 1-0 win in Georgia. Some story, that. Genoa’s Goran Pandev, 37, scored the winner.
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Alternative MBM action
🙌 Congrats and good luck to @dallas_stuart who is set for his 50th Northern Ireland cap in this evening’s play-off final against Slovakia pic.twitter.com/b4qWXQAf2V
— Leeds United (@LUFC) November 12, 2020
Team news
The Northern Ireland team is as expected, with only one change from the team that beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in the semi-finals: Conor Washington replaces the injured Corry Evans. It looks like Josh Magennis will move to the wing, though Ian Baraclough could play a 4-4-2.
Northern Ireland (possible 4-3-3) Peacock-Farrell; Dallas, Cathcart, J Evans, Lewis; Davis, McNair, Saville; McGinn, Washington, Magennis.
Substitutes: McGovern, Hazard, C McLaughlin, Flanagan, Boyce, Lafferty, Ferguson, McCann, Thompson, Whyte, Smith, Ballard.
Slovakia (possible 4-1-4-1) Rodak; Pekarik, Satka, Skriniar, Hubocan; Lobotka; Rusnak, Kucka, Hamsik, Mak; Duda.
Substitutes: Jakubech, Greif, Pauschek, Valjent, Gyomber, Gregus, Suslov, Mazan, Mraz, Hrosovsky, Safranko, Duris.
Referee Felix Brych (Germany).
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Preamble
Northern Ireland didn’t play at a major tournament between 1986 and 2016. In that time they barely looked qualifying, even if they did have some famous one-off victories (evening Sven). All that has changed under Michael O’Neill and now Ian Baraclough.
Five years ago Northern Ireland qualified for the European Championship for the first time in their history, and then reached the last 16 in France. They made the play-offs for the 2018 World Cup and might have qualified but for a wretched penalty decision against Switzerland. And now they are one game away from reaching Euro 2020, Euro 2021 or whatever the hell we’re supposed to call it.
It’s Northern Ireland v Slovakia, winner takes all. Northern Ireland have home advantage - and there might actually be some this time, as just over 1,000 fans will be allowed into Windsor Park. Slovakia are a decent side (yes, Marek Hamsik is still playing) but their form isn’t great and they sacked their manager shortly after beating the Republic of Ireland in the play-off semi-final last month.
The upshot is that, even though their recent form is also modest, Northern Ireland are the bookmakers’ favourites to win this game. In spirit they will always be overachieving underdogs, and tonight they have the chance to make history again. Godspeed, gentlemen.
Kick off 7.45pm.
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