Gareth McAuley’s unfortunate own goal was sufficient to gift Wales victory in Paris and book themselves a berth in the quarter-finals of this year’s European Championships.
In a game low on quality, Northern Ireland created more chances, but each of them turned to be fruitless. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 75th minute when Gareth Bale’s whipping low cross was turned in by a desperate McAuley in an attempt to stop the cross from reaching Hal Robson-Kanu at the far post.
Here are some of the talking points of the game at the French capital:-
#1 Northern Ireland have the upper hand in the first half
It was a relatively low-key first half, with both sides creating half chances at best. Stuart Dallas’ low shot from a difficult angle was saved by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, while Aaron Ramsey’s goal was ruled out for offside. Rather surprisingly, it was Michael O’Neill’s side which edged the first half.
The Irish looked the fresher and the more purposeful of the two teams, creating the greater number of opportunities. They were also pretty inventive when it came to set-pieces, applying various techniques to catch the Welsh defence. Though they ended up losing the game, Northern Ireland must at least take heart from the fact they went down fighting and due to a terrible slice of bad luck.
#2 Wayne Hennessey strong for Wales in goal
In a tournament where goalkeepers have excelled, Wayne Hennessey kept that trend going. He was brilliant for Wales in between the sticks, making three saves and dealing with the barrage of Northern Ireland set-pieces with some crucial catches.
The Crystal Palace custodian – who has been criticised for his decision-making in the past – put all his doubters to rest in Paris with a rock-solid performance to help Chris Coleman’s side become the second team to make it to the last 8 of the tournament.
#3 Gareth McAuley a hero despite own-goal
Could centre-half Gareth McAuley have done better to prevent the own-goal? Replays showed that he was pretty helpless as he tried to deal with a dangerous cross delivered by Gareth Bale across the frame of goal. With Hal Robson-Kanu poised to tap the ball in at the far post in the event of McAuley not getting a touch to it, the defender had no option but to get his foot across.
He was understandably consoled by his team-mates following the unfortunate incident. For that own-goal to be the decisive goal in the game will make McAuley feel all the more disheartened, but no one can really blame him for turning the ball into his own net. He like all of the Norther Ireland are heroes for getting this far.
#4 James Chester immense in defence
He was arguably the most impressive player in the Welsh back three. James Chester put in a defensive masterclass, marshalling winger Stuart Dallas in the first half and depriving him of any space to approach Hennessey’s goal. He committed to a crucial last-man tackle and made a number of important clearances from Northern Irish set-pieces.
The Baggies defender is definitely a candidate for Man of the Match based on that robust performance. His consistency across his nation’s four games has been a massive plus-point for Chris Coleman, who hopes his centre-back can maintain this level of performance in the last eight against Hungary or Belgium.
#5 Wales must be more effective upfront
They may have got away with an own-goal, but Wales know that they must be more purposeful when they play in the attacking third. Sam Vokes didn’t have a good game, failing to muster a shot in the first half and missing a reasonably good chance moments before being substituted off. Gareth Bale was busy but was kept well quiet by the Northern Irish defenders till his fierce cross which resulted in the goal. Hal Robson-Kanu couldn’t impact the game as a substitute after replacing Vokes.
Chris Coleman must find new ideas for Wales to break open defences if they are to get through the upcoming knockout games. Relying heavily on the defenders is a high-risk move, so it is imperative that the likes of Bale, Vokes and Robson-Kanu improve their game upfront and get right behind defences.
