#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.
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