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At the end of a two-year pursuit of a second successive European Championship appearance there was only heartache for Northern Ireland. Ian Baraclough’s spirited side took Slovakia to extra time courtesy of an 87th-minute equaliser at Windsor Park but were ultimately beaten by Michal Duris’s 110th minute goal.

When Paddy McNair forced Milan Skriniar to put through his own net with three minutes of normal time remaining the pendulum appeared to swing in Northern Ireland’s favour in the play-off final. They had trailed to Juraj Kucka’s first-half goal for so long but never accepted defeat. The introduction of Kyle Lafferty, playing one week after the death of his 41-year-old sister, transformed the hosts’ attacking edge and brought fresh impetus to the team in green. But it was not to be.

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from Football | The Guardian https://ift.tt/38J3Ad3