By Ger McCarthy
A perfect Irish start
Ireland’s best hope of causing an upset at Stade des Lumieres required a positive start and an early goal. Martin O’Neill’s side delivered both inside the opening 2 minutes, setting the tone for a magnificent first half display.
Stephen Ward’s determined run and cross caused consternation in the French penalty area where the ball fell to Shane Long. The Southampton striker used all his experience and no little cunning to draw a clumsy foul from Paul Pogba.
Referee Nicola Rizzoli immediately pointed to the spot and Robbie Brady made no mistake, completing a perfect Irish start.
Magical Griezmann
France emerged a different team following the half-time break, immediately upping the tempo and forcing Ireland into defensive mode for the majority of the second period.
Yet, for all the hosts’ pressure, it took two moments of Antoine Griezmann magic during a devastating three-minute spell to send the hosts into the quarter-finals.
Picture: IINPHO/Donall Farmer
First, the Atletico Madrid forward powered a header beyond Darren Randolph to level the score and then arrowed a beautiful shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-1. Griezmann should have had a hat-trick but was denied by Randolph in the final minutes.
Duffy’s red card
Any faint hope of an Irish comeback was extinguished once Shane Duffy received a red card after 66 minutes. The Blackburn Rovers player was caught out of position for France’s second and faced with an in-rushing Antoine Griezmann racing towards goal shortly afterwards.
Shane Duffy becomes the third player to be sent off at #EURO2016:
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) June 26, 2016
A. Dragović
L. Cana
S. Duffy pic.twitter.com/xIAXTd06zy
Griezmann’s pace took him beyond the Irish defender but a desperate lunging tackle brought the Atletico Madrid man down on the edge of the box and with only Darren Randolph to beat.
The referee was left with little option but to send Duffy off and end Martin O’Neill’s side’s chances of taking the tie to extra-time.
