FOOTBALL Live

Saturday September 6, 2008 Finished

2 - 1

Slovakia

  • Skrtel 46’
  • Hamsik 70’

Northern Ireland

  • Durica 81’ (o.g.)

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  1. World Cup qual. - Northern Ireland slump in opener

    World Cup qual. - Northern Ireland slump in opener

    Northern Ireland slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Slovakia in their opening 2010 World Cup qualifying Group 3 match in Bratislava. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Slovakia
    • Northern Ireland
    • FT FULL TIME. Slovakia 2-1 Northern Ireland.
    • 90+2 Slovakia have the ball in the corner and are running the clock down.
    • 90+1 Three minutes were added, we have two left to play.
    • 90 Warren Feeney hits an acrobatic volley from 12 yards out which Senecky palms over. Corner. McCartney heads into Senecky's grateful hands. Time is running out.
    • 89 The away fans are in good voice, cheering Nigel Worthington's boys on but their team hasn't tested Senecky since they pegged one back.
    • 87 Northern Ireland have three minutes plus stoppage time to complete a memorable comeback here in Bratislava.
    • 84 Slovakia Substitution. Robert Vittek walks off very slowly to be replaced by another striker, 1. FC Nuremberg's Marek Mintal.
    • 81 GOAL FOR NORTHERN IRELAND. Durica turns a threatening cross from sub Chris Brunt into his own net. GAME ON!
    • 78 NI Substitution. Dean Sheils replaces Chris Baird.
    • 75 Slovakia Substitution. Terek Grozny defender Radoslav Zabavnik replaces Miroslav Karhan
    • 75 Vittek nearly meets a low cross to make it 3-0. What was I saying earlier about NI ending their dreadful qualification starts? May have been wrong, in retrospect.
    • 74 International football is a cruel game. Northern Ireland have been punished for their profligacy but have every right to complain that they should have had a penalty before Slovakia doubled their lead.
    • 70 Jonny Evans was booked for the foul that gave away the free kick.
    • 70 SLOVAKIA GOAL. Hamsik volleys home a Vittek knockdown from a free kick. Poor defending from setpieces has cost NI dearly.
    • 69 Chris Baird is convinced that Petras handballed in the box. Replays suggest he's right, Northern Ireland denied a stonewall penalty.
    • 66 NI Substitution. West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt comes on for the disappointing Martin Paterson.
    • 66 Lovely interplay on the edge of the box provides an opening for Vittek but he can't keep his effort down.
    • 64 Martin Paterson has a chance to shoot from 18 yards out but fails to connect convincingly.
    • 59 Slovakia Substitution. Midfielder Dusan Svento replaces striker Martin Jakubko. Looks like the home team will go to 4-5-1 to protect their lead. Have they made this change too soon? NI have half an hour to push for an equaliser.
    • 58 Coventry reject Iain Dowie is criticising Nigel Worthington's "negative system." Miaow.
    • 53 NI Substitution. Warren Feeney replaces Keith Gillespie who couldn't shake off an ankle injury. The Slovakians offered Gillespie a souped-up golf buggy to escort him off. They were met by bemused expressions from the veteran winger and his physio.
    • 51 Another great Gillespie corner is met by George McCartney eight yards out but he can't keep his header down. Not the finish of a £6m player that.
    • 49 That was Skrtel's fifth goal for his country. It was also Slovakia's first shot on target and their first goal in over five hours of football. Sorry NI.
    • 46 GOAL FOR SLOVAKIA. Martin Skrtel heads in a Sapara free kick from the left. Nigel Worthington's teamtalk was wasted breath. Was the NI defensive line too deep there?
    • 46 The second half is underway. No changes for either teams.
    • - HALF TIME. 0-0. Northern Ireland will be reasonably happy with their first half display. They dominated in the first twenty minutes without ever really testing Senecky. Slovakia came into the game but were denied the lead by the linesman's flag in the 37th minute.
    • 43 David Healy drags a shot wide from 20 yards out. Nigel Worthington will be pleased to see the pendulum swinging back to his side.
    • 40 Petras flashes a header just wide for Slovakia. There was no defender on the line so if he had directed the ball the other side of the post, it would have been 1-0. Worrying times for Northern Ireland.
    • 37 DISALLOWED GOAL FOR SLOVAKIA. Durica's cross from the left is met by a spectacular diving header from Jakubro. The linesman's flag takes eons to go up but replays show that Jakubro was just offside.
    • 34 Keith Gillespie booked for dissent. In his 15th season with the national team he still has much to learn.
    • 33 A quite game from Martin Paterson so far on the left, especially when compared to Keith Gillespie on the opposite flank. Some had expected him to make way for Warren Feeney so it would be no surprise to see the Dundee United man come on in the second half.
    • 28 Slovakia have begun to look like they are the home team and NI's early pressure has dissipated. As of yet the home side haven't tested Maik Taylor but have had a few blocked shots and corners in the recent play.
    • 24 I've just seen a West Ham-shirted fan in the Slovakia end. I know everyone has taken George McCartney's exit hard, especially Alan Curbishley, but I still think travelling all the way to Bratislava is a lot of effort to make your feelings known.
    • 21 The game is settling down. Would NI take 0-0? Given their recent away form it would at least be a steady start to the campaign.
    • 17 Karhan unwraps his long throw for the first time. It sails thirty yards into the box, causing confusion, but the ball is eventually scrambled away. Memo to Nigel Worthington's defenders: putting it out for a throw is not always the safe option.
    • 14 Northern Ireland have lost the first game 3-0 in each of their last four qualifying campaigns. The early indications here are that they will end that unhappy streak.
    • 10 A real chance. Chris Baird heads over from Gillespie's corner. The Sheffield United winger's quality deliveries into the box are causing real trouble for Slovakia.
    • 9 First shot on target from Northern Ireland's Sammy Clingan. Gillespie crosses, Healy knocks it down to Clingan but he can only shoot low on the ground and into the arms of Senecky.
    • 6 David Healy has time, space and Keith Gillespie in support 25 yards out. He shoots straight at a defender and the ball trickles out for a corner. The first half-chance.
    • 4 It's 33 degrees celcius here in Bratislava so we can expect a slow tempo in this afternoon's game.
    • 3 Hamsik is booked for Slovakia in an early skirmish.
    • 1 We're underway. Slovakia start with a 4-4-2, Northern Ireland are 4-5-1 but with natural striker Patterson and Keith Gillespie looking to push forward down the wings.
    • - Hello and welcome to Eurosport-Yahoo!'s LIVE coverage of the Northern Ireland's first match in World Cup Qualification Group 3 against Slovakia in Bratislava, LIVE from 16:30 BST!

  • Summary

    • 90 Warren Feeney hits an acrobatic volley from 12 yards out which Senecky palms over. Corner. McCartney heads into Senecky's grateful hands. Time is running out.
    • 81 GOAL FOR NORTHERN IRELAND. Durica turns a threatening cross from sub Chris Brunt into his own net. GAME ON!
    • 70 SLOVAKIA GOAL. Hamsik volleys home a Vittek knockdown from a free kick. Poor defending from setpieces has cost NI dearly.
    • 46 GOAL FOR SLOVAKIA. Martin Skrtel heads in a Sapara free kick from the left. Nigel Worthington's teamtalk was wasted breath. Was the NI defensive line too deep there?
    • 37 DISALLOWED GOAL FOR SLOVAKIA. Durica's cross from the left is met by a spectacular diving header from Jakubro. The linesman's flag takes eons to go up but replays show that Jakubro was just offside.
    • 10 A real chance. Chris Baird heads over from Gillespie's corner. The Sheffield United winger's quality deliveries into the box are causing real trouble for Slovakia.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Nikolai Ivanov

  • Slovakia

    Manager: Vladimir Weiss

    Starting line-up

    • Senecky
    • P. Pekarik
    • J. Durica Own Goal
    • M. Skrtel Goal
    • M. Petras
    • .. Sapara
    • J. Hamsik Goal Yellow Card
    • M. Karhan Substitution Out (78′)
    • J. Kozak
    • M. Jakubko Substitution Out (59′)
    • R. Vittek Substitution Out (84′)

    Subs

    • R. Zabavnik Substitution In75′
    • F. Sebo
    • B. Obzera
    • D. Svento Substitution In59′
    • M. Mintal Substitution In84′
    • J. Novak

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None

  • Northern Ireland

    Manager: Nigel Worthington

    Starting line-up

    • M. Taylor
    • J. Evans Yellow Card
    • S. Craigan
    • A. Hughes
    • G. McCartney
    • C. Baird Substitution Out (78′)
    • K. Gillespie Yellow Card Substitution Out (53′)
    • S. Davis
    • D. Shiels Substitution In (75′)
    • P. Paterson Substitution Out (66′)
    • D. Healy

    Subs

    • W. Feeney Substitution In53′
    • P. Thompson
    • G. McAuley
    • C. Brunt Substitution In66′
    • A. Mannus
    • .. McGivern

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None

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