🔗 Share this article Late Header from Neves Sinks Ireland Following Caoimhín Kelleher Stops Ronaldo Spot-Kick The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winner in their World Cup encounter against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had denied a spot-kick from the veteran forward. Game Summary The Wolves midfielder headed home during added time to snatch a narrow win, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Irish side. Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a well-earned draw, but ultimately suffered defeat, despite regaining a good deal of pride with a gritty performance that erased some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia. However, the defeat puts them in a difficult position, with their initial trio of Group F matches having yielded only a single draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any hope of securing a playoff place. Major Incidents Kelleher seemed to have earned Ireland a point when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after Francisco Trincão’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm. Neves saved Portugal in the opening moments of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past Kelleher. Other Qualifying Outcomes Group F The Hungarian team boosted their hopes of advancing by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. A Hungarian forward gave Hungary the lead in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half added time. Group K Serbia slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now seal their qualification from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the decisive strike for Albania with a well-taken volley in first-half added time. The Latvian side struggles in Group K persisted as they were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by Andorra. An Andorran player scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches. Group E Spain continued their impressive Group E campaign with a comfortable victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The win extended the European champions’ flawless record in qualifying, having notched eleven strikes in three games without letting in a goal. Despite the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, Nico Williams, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, the Spanish squad showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that spent most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have a single attempt on target or create a scoring opportunity, with only shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili preventing a heavy defeat. The scorer opened the scoring in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal secured the win in the 64th minute with a stunning free kick after the Georgian keeper had denied a Spanish player’s penalty. Additional Scores Turkey returned to winning ways with a 6-1 victory over Bulgaria to stay close to the group leaders in Group E. The Spanish club’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters. Italy boosted their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 victory away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, another attacker, and Francesco Pio Esposito. Gennaro Gattuso commented: “Our focus isn’t on Norway or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.” The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared playoff path now looks their most likely opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in their qualifying group. The Norwegians are leading on 18 points from six matches. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points ahead of Israel. The Estonian squad stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs. The Italian national team host their rivals on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake Norway on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a playoff spot probably awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.