- Dave Donnelly
- Sun, Jun 26 2016
Dave Donnelly reporting live from Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
Two goals in four second-half minutes from Atlético Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann ended the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2016 dream at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
Ireland had taken a shock early lead as Robbie Brady converted a penalty won by Shane Long with just two minutes on the clock, but the hosts overwhelmed Martin O'Neill's side to book a quarter-final meeting with England or Iceland.
Shane Duffy was given a straight red card for a professional foul in an eight-minute spell that derailed what had, for almost an hour, appeared to be a fairytale in the making for Martin O'Neill's side.
The Fields of Athenry, as it had four years ago in Poznan, rang out as the Irish team applauded the fine travelling support, but there was to be no barbed criticism this time as a team who've made a point of triumphing against adversity fell only marginally short of repeating the trick.
While the travelling Irish fans ensured they had at least parity in terms of supporter numbers in each of the three group games, the game in Lyon saw Ireland allocated a meagre 4,500 tickets, a mere 8% of the 58,000 capacity.
Nevertheless, as they did at Stade de France six years ago, the Irish fans worked their magic on the black market and secured at least double that amount, ensuring pockets of green sprouted up all over the blue-dominated stadium.
The rights and wrongs of UEFA selling the majority of tickets for the game well in advance – and the fact France knew where they'd be playing three days before Ireland did – can be debated another day.
But it was clear from before the first whistle that the Irish were determined to make themselves heard and ensure the support that Seamus Coleman and Robbie Brady branded 'the best in the world' made its impression on the team.
That said, few would but the most optimistic of fans could have predicted the start O'Neill's side would enjoy, as Ireland passed the ball around patiently and Daryl Murphy bullied France's central defenders in the air, before the ball broke to Stephen Ward wide on the left.
His cross was beyond Murphy, but Shane Long was able to latch onto the ball with his back to goal and, foolishly, Paul Pogba clumsily ran across the Southampton striker's path and brought him to the ground, and referee Nicola Rizzolo didn't think twice about pointing to the spot.
Somewhat surprisingly, it was Ireland's hero from Lille who stepped up to the take the kick, and he coolly sent Hugo Lloris the wrong way to score with the aid of the right-hand post.
Martin O'Neill – as expected – had named an unchanged team from the one that beat Italy, favouring the athleticism of James McClean over Wes Hoolahan, indicating Ireland were preparing to continue the energetic, high-pressing game of the previous Wednesday.
How much this approach was thrown up in the air by the early goal is hard to quantify, but Ireland did sit back early on and allow the French midfielders – Pogba chief among them – to have possession and invited them on.
And it was Pogba who created the first half-chance as he found space on the left and crossed for Antoine Griezmann, but he couldn't keep his header down, and the same player couldn't trouble Darren Randolph with a flick from Dmitri Payet's free kick moments later.
Ireland had little of the ball but looked marginally the more threatening when they did get forward, and Murphy forced Lloris into a diving save when he turned and volleyed from a tight angle, and Jeff Hendrick should have done better from the rebound.
O'Neill's men were conceding a worrying number of free kicks in the final third, and Pogba gave warning of what he was capable of when he forced a decent save from Randolph as his long-distance free sailed towards the top corner.
And France should have levelled in injury time at the end of the first half with their first goalmouth action of note, but neither Griezmann or Payet could find a way past the desperate blocks of Duffy and Richard Keogh.
Didier Deschamps introduced Bayern Munich's attack-minded Kingsley Coman for the already-booked Kanté at half time in a bid to break down the Irish defence, but the immediate effect was to destabilise their own midfield, and Ireland looked to take advantage.
First, Ireland broke through Long and he found Murphy in acres of space within shooting range, but the Ipswich man took too many touches and surrendered possession, before another saw Hendrick feed McClean, and his low cross was well palmed away by Lloris with Long waiting to apply the finishing touch.
France's attacking shape did finally begin to click, and Matuidi forced a good save from Randolph before the deadlock was finally broken as Duffy rushed out of defence and left a gap for Griezmann to head in Bacary Sagna's cross.
Three minutes later, the turnaround was complete as Ireland's defenders again lost their bearings as Duffy and Keogh competed for the same ball with Giroud and lost, with Griezmann again the spare man with time and space to pick his spot.
Ireland responded well, however, and should have levelled as McClean easily outpaced Sanga down in the box and had only to find Murphy for a simple tap-in, but instead he pulled the ball back for Long and found only the waiting Koscielny.
It was a poor decision that was to prove doubly costly as France again went direct and Griezmann found his way through on goal, and Duffy was forced to clip the striker's heels and make the foul at the expense of a red card.
France could have extended their lead further as André-Pierre Gignac, on for Olivier Giroud, cut inside Seamus Coleman and curled past Randolph, only to see his shot cannon out off the crossbar.
Gignac missed another opportunity in the dying moments as he scuffed his shot from Coman's smart pull-back, but it wasn't to matter as Ireland, worn out from constant chasing, couldn't fashion another chance.
France: Hugo Lloris; Bacary Sagna, Adil Rami, Laurent Koscielny, Patrice Evra; N'Golo Kanté (Kingsley Coman 46 (Moussa Sissoko 90+3)), Paul Pogba, Blaise Matuidi; Dmitri Payet, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud (André-Pierre Gignac 73).
Subs not used: Steve Mandanda (gk), Benoit Costil (gk), Christophe Jallet, Eliquim Mangala, Lucas Digne, Samuel Umtiti, Yohan Cabaye, Morgan Schneiderlin, Anthony Martial.
Booked: N'Golo Kanté (27), Adil Rami (44).
Sent off: None.
Republic of Ireland: Darren Randolph; Seamus Coleman, Richard Keogh, Shane Duffy, Stephen Ward; James McCarthy (Wes Hoolahan 71), Jeff Hendrick, Robbie Brady, James McClean (John O'Shea 68); Shane Long, Daryl Murphy (Jon Walters 62).
Subs not used: Keiren Westwood (gk), Shay Given (gk), Ciaran Clark, Cyrus Christie, David Meyler, Glenn Whelan, Stephen Quinn, Aiden McGeady, Robbie Keane.
Booked: Coleman (25), Hendrick (41), Shane Long (72).
Sent off: Shane Duffy (66).
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy).
Attendance: 56,279.
Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Antoine Griezmann (France).
