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Northern Ireland lack guile to break Slovenia's resistance

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• Guardian report
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Euro 2012 Qual Group C

Northern Ireland 0
Slovenia 0

• Jamie Jackson at Windsor Park
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 29 March 2011 22.02 BST <li class="history">Article history
  
  Northern Ireland's Corry Evans, left, and Slovenia's Bojan Jokic dispute a high ball at Windsor Park. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images Northern Ireland at least sent their supporters away believing. A late flurry, which included Chris Brunt going agonisingly close, suggested they may still narrow the gap to Slovenia, who are second in Group C, two points ahead.
  The nations in between, Serbia and Estonia, shared a draw to leave four sides chasing the runners-up spot, as Italy are now five points clear.
  "I think it is pretty much the same," Nigel Worthington, the Northern Ireland manager, said when asked about the standings. "We would have loved to have won and really tightened that gap."
  His team have six points with five matches remaining. How many will they need to qualify? "I said before we kicked a ball in this group that everybody was capable of taking points off each other and that hasn't changed," he said. "The game in hand [that Northern Island and Estonia have] will be big for us now."
  Worthington was right to be proud of how his players toughed the match out. This allowed them to finish the stronger after Slovenia had dominated for long periods. "It went the distance, we kept our discipline and shape, and there were a lot of immense performances," he said.
  Yet the sense remains of a missed opportunity. Northern Ireland's latest stab at reaching the finals of a major tournament for the first time since 1986 began in September with an impressive 1-0 victory that came courtesy of a Corry Evans goal in the reverse fixture.
  That was the first time since 1962 they had won on the road in the opening game of qualifying. But after a home draw against Italy, disappointment followed when two points were dropped to the Faroe Islands in October, before Worthington's men went down 2-1 in Serbia last Friday.
  The two failings they were culpable of against Solvenia were an inability to deliver a telling corner or free-kick and little strategy beyond the tactic of punting a route-one ball up to Brunt or Warren Feeney in the hope this might breach the visiting defence.
  Until near the close when Brunt almost snatched a goal and the substitute Josh McQuoid had a penalty appeal rejected, Slovenia had illustrated the far greater guile. This, ultimately, could prove Northern Ireland's downfall.
  
  

 

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Abel Hernández seals the deal as Uruguay beat Republic of Ireland

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International

Republic of Ireland 2

• Long 15,
• Fahey 48

Uruguay 3

• Lugano 12,
• Cavani 22,
• Abel Hernandez 39

• David Hytner at Aviva Stadium
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 29 March 2011 22.05 BST <li class="history">Article history
  
  Abel Hernández reacts after scoring Uruguay's third goal against the Republic of Ireland. Photograph: Peter Morrison/AP If only every international friendly could be as watchable as this one. Giovanni Trapattoni might prize the result above all else and it would have grated with the Italian that his Republic of Ireland team suffered another reverse in a non-competitive fixture. This was a sixth friendly defeat in 14. In qualifying ties, Trapattoni has lost only two of 17.
  Yet there was plenty to admire about Ireland's swashbuckling efforts against the World Cup semi finalists. In Shane Long, the hosts had a powerful and willing centre-forward, who pressed his claims for the Euro 2012 qualifier away to Macedonia in June while behind him, Keith Fahey and Liam Lawrence were among those to show their offensive qualities.
  An experimental Ireland did not lose heart at 3-1 down at the interval and their second-half bluster might have yielded an equaliser on another night. Unfortunately for them, the attacking stars were not exclusively in green. Uruguay passed and moved with great fluency and in Adel Hernández and Edinson Cavani, they had a clinical edge in the final third.
  It was easy to pick holes in the defending, particularly that of Ireland, who were regularly pulled apart by Uruguay's fluid movement. Trapattoni grimaced at all of the goals his team conceded, particularly the second, when Maximiliano Pereira was allowed to coast from right to left, across the Ireland backline, before picking his pass for Cavani. But it was a night when exuberance dominated. The only disappointment was that the Aviva Stadium was so sparsely populated.
  Trapattoni name-checked Fahey, the defender Darren O'Dea and the goalkeeper Keiren Westwood who, after his assured performance in the qualifying win over Macedonia on Saturday, once again showed his "personality" and "presence". His double save from Cavani and Hernández was of the highest order. Yet one Irish player hogged the plaudits.
  "Long is a very important player and if I was a manager at club level, I would look for him," Trapattoni said, of the in-form Reading man. "He was still young a year ago, but now he is mature."
  Oscar Tabárez, the Uruguay manager, named nine of the players who had started for him in the World Cup semi-final defeat to the Netherlands while Trapattoni's line-up was his second string. "It was a good performance considering that we put together nearly a new team in two days and we played against a super team," Trapattoni said. "In particular, it was a new defence."
  There was good fortune about Uruguay's opening goal. Fahey's clearing header from Diego Forlan's free-kick hit Cavani and fell kindly for the captain Diego Lugano, who swept past the exposed Westwood. But the visitor's second and third brimmed with ruthless class.
  Cavani showed why he has attracted the attention of some of Europe's wealthiest clubs when he took one touch from Maximiliano Pereira's ball and whipped the second low into the far corner. Hernández's finish was similarly impressive. Alvaro Pereira robbed Lawrence, bolted forward and fed the 20-year-old, who opened up his body to beat Westwood. Hernández was the least known commodity up front for Uruguay but he bristled with boldness and raw ability.
  Ireland had equalised through Long's header from Lawrence's excellent cross and the striker also helped win the penalty that set up the exciting second period. He outstripped Lugano to cross for the disappointing James McCarthy, who was fouled by Martin Cacedes. Fahey directed the penalty inside Fernando Muslera's right-hand post.
  Ireland pressed and Long spurned their best chance to equalise after Muslera had spilled a drive from Andy Keogh. Uruguay, though, radiated menace on the counter and, but for Westwood, they would have added to their lead.
  
  

 

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Spain maintain their perfect record on an imperfect pitch in Lithuania

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Euro 2012 Qual Group I

Lithuania 1

• Stankevicius 57

Spain 3

• Xavi 19,
• Kijanskas (og) 70,
• Mata 83

• Reuters
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 29 March 2011 22.28 BST <li class="history">Article history
  
  Spain's Santi Cazorla, left, tries to evade the sliding challenge of the Lithuania winger Saulius Mikolunas. Photograph: Ints Kalnins/REUTERS Spain overcame a cut up, muddy pitch in Kaunas to beat Lithuania and maintain their perfect record in qualifying for Euro 2012.
  Xavi scored the visitors' first goal with a shot that ballooned off a defender's leg and over the keeper after 19 minutes.
  Marius Stankevicius drilled a fierce long-range volley past Iker Casillas for a spectacular equaliser in the 57th minute and for a while the hosts looked as if they could unsettle the world and European champions.
  An own-goal from Tabas Kijanskas, under pressure from the striker Fernando Llorente, restored Spain's advantage in the 70th minute though, and the substitute Juan Mata sealed the victory with a fine finish seven minutes from time.