Own goal sends Wales into last eight – Poland edge Swiss in shoot-out to claim historic quarters spot

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Wales’ Gareth Bale (left), tries to cross the ball in front of Northern Ireland’s Stuart Dallas during the EURO 2016 round of 16 soccer match between Wales and Northern Ireland, at the Parc de Princes Stadium in Paris on June 25. (AP)
Wales’ Gareth Bale (left), tries to cross the ball in front of Northern Ireland’s Stuart Dallas during the EURO 2016 round of 16 soccer match between Wales and Northern Ireland, at the Parc de Princes Stadium in Paris on June 25. (AP)

PARIS, June 25, (AFP): Northern Ireland’s Gareth McAuley scored a heart-breaking own goal to hand British rivals Wales a 1-0 victory in Paris on Saturday that sent them into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.

In a cagey contest, Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland largely succeeded in muzzling Gareth Bale, but the Real Madrid star produced a wicked 75th-minute cross that the hapless McAuley turned into his own net.

The West Bromwich Albion centre-back’s unwitting intervention allowed Wales to reach the last eight, just as they did on their last major tournament appearance at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

Chris Coleman’s side, who qualified above old foes England as Group B winners, will play either Belgium or Hungary in Lille on Friday for a place in the semi-finals.

With no former major tournament winners in Wales’s half of the draw, they will advance with belief intact that they can create a sensation.

And in an ironic touch, it was Wales, whose inhabitants voted to leave the European Union in Thursday’s British referendum, who remained in Europe, and Northern Ireland, whose people voted to stay, who departed.

Coleman named the same team that had trounced Russia 3-0 last Monday, but Northern Ireland provided vastly more disciplined opposition, sitting in a low bloc and looking to attack on the break.

It obliged Bale, the tournament’s joint-top scorer, to move out to the right in search of the ball and aside from a mishit shot that flew well wide, he scarcely offered a threat in the first half.

Instead it was Northern Ireland who procured the few sights of goal, Stuart Dallas testing Wayne Hennessey at his near post.

Wales had the ball in the net in the 19th minute, but Aaron Ramsey was clearly offside as he moved in to toe Sam Vokes’s header past Northern Ireland’s redoubtable goalkeeper Michael McGovern.

With the on-pitch action failing to satisfy, attention turned to the festivities in the stands.

Northern Irish fans goaded their Welsh counterparts with chants of “You’re just a small part of England.”

The supporters in green then belted out their ode to striker Will Grigg, prompting Welsh supporters to caustically retort: “You’ve only got one song!”

Wales began to show a sharper cutting edge in the second period, Vokes heading wide from Ramsey’s deep cross and Bale drawing a parry from McGovern with one of his trademark, dipping free-kicks.

Vokes made way for Hal Robson-Kanu shortly after his chance and Coleman made an attacking change shortly after when he introduced Jonathan Williams in midfield for the more conservative Joe Ledley.

O’Neill also made a bold substitution, sending on Conor Washington, who had lost his place up front to Kyle Lafferty, but it was Wales who made the breakthrough.

After a spell of Welsh possession, Ramsey slipped a pass to Bale, who whipped a devilish cross into the six-yard box from the left.

In trying to prevent the ball reaching Robson-Kanu, the hapless McAuley could only toe the ball into his own net.

McAuley, who had conceded an 89th-minute penalty when the teams drew 1-1 in Cardiff in March, was taken off for Josh Magennis in the 84th minute.

It left Grigg — whose chant has become the soundtrack of the competition — to end the tournament having not played a single second.

But his song, like the memories of Northern Ireland’s ebullient fans, is likely to echo for some time.

Meanwhile, Poland claimed the first Euro 2016 quarter-final place Saturday by beating Switzerland 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out after Arsenal-bound Granit Xhaka blasted his spot-kick wide.

Jakob Blaszczykowski proved again he has the midas touch for Poland as the Borussia Dortmund winger gave his side a first-half lead in the last-16 clash.

Xherdan Shaqiri’s spectacular second-half bicycle kick levelled for Switzerland and with the scores 1-1 after extra time, the clash at Saint-Etienne’s Stade Geoffrey Guichard went into penalties.

Xhaka, who will join the Gunners after the European Championship finals, sent Switzerland’s second penalty wide while Poland nailed all five kicks.

Blaszczykowski, nicknamed ‘Kuba’, then drilled home Poland’s fourth shot and his nation was sent into delirium when Grzegorz Krychowiak nailed the crucial fifth kick.

Poland have not reached the quarter-final of a major tournament since the 1982 World Cup.

And the result meant Poland preserved their record of never having lost in 18 games when Blaszczykowski has scored.

“Let’s hope it continues until the final,” the scorer said.

“It was the most difficult match so far. The Swiss made life hard for us,” said Blaszczykowski, who spent last season on loan at Fiorentina.

“We dragged it out of their hands.

“I’m delighted, it was a historic moment for us, because we are in the top eight in Europe.”

The Poles will now play Portugal or Croatia in the quarter-finals in Marseille on Thursday.

Shaqiri said Xhaka will bounce back after his crushing disappointment.

“I think Granit is very professional and he can cope with it,” said man-of-the-match Shaqiri.

“He’s disappointed, but that’s football and mistakes can happen.”

It was a historic occasion for both sides as neither had previously reached the knockout stages of a Euro finals.

Despite his success in converting in the penalty shootout, Robert Lewandowski, the top scorer in qualifying with 13 goals, remains without a regular goal in France.

The Bayern Munich striker constantly dropped back into midfield to run Poland’s attack.

The Poles dominated the first half, while the Swiss ruled the second.

Poland squandered a gold-plated chance in the opening minute as a lazy pass from Swiss full-back Johan Djourou fell into Lewandowski’s path.

The star striker enticed Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer off his line, but Arkadiusz Milik fired over with the goal at his mercy.

At the other end, Blerim Dzemaili, then Admir Mehmedi had chances for the Swiss before Fabian Schaer headed straight at Lukasz Fabianski.

After creating their fair share of chances, Poland finally went ahead when Kamil Grosicki broke down the left from a Swiss corner.

His pass found Blaszczykowski unmarked at the far post and the winger drove his shot home on 39 minutes.

The Swiss grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck as they hunted a second-half equaliser.

They camped in the Poland half for long spells with goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski under constant siege.

In a bid to boost their attacking options, Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic switched to two strikers for the last 30 minutes.

He put Breel Embolo on for attacking midfielder Blerim Dzemaili and the move paid off.

A free-kick by Swiss dead-ball expert Ricardo Rodriguez was heading for the top right-hand corner until Fabianski’s glove intervened with 15 minutes left.

Swiss striker Haris Seferovic had his head in his hands when his shot hit the crossbar.

But Shaqiri’s brilliant left-footed effort, just inside the post in the 82nd minute, gave Fabianski no chance, as the Swiss drew level.

When extra-time started, Swiss substitute Eren Derdiyok, who was playing in attack alongside Shaqiri twice tested Fabianski as the Nati chased a winner.

Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic said he felt for Xhaka, but the defeat hurt more.

“I’m very sad for him, but it’s not just about him, it’s disappointing as the Swiss players gave everything,” said Petkovic.

“We weren’t clinical enough and as a result of the lottery of the penalty shoot-out, if you miss one, it can be crucial.”

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