Parrott scored both goals in the World Cup qualifying match (2-0) against the 2016 European champions, where Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off in the second half. This means that Ireland remains in the race for a World Cup ticket, whether or not via the play-offs, while a defeat would mean elimination.
Irish national coach: ‘Red Cristiano Ronaldo had nothing to do with me, unless I was in his head’
“This is probably the best night of my life. I can hardly describe it. I am overwhelmed, I don’t know what words to use,” the goalgetter explains to the TV channel afterwards. RTE. “As I said yesterday: I feel great. It is a huge relief that the hard work is paying off like this.”
Clash with Hungary
Assuming that Portugal wins its last home match in qualifying against bottom-of-the-table Armenia, Ireland awaits a real challenge in Budapest on Sunday for the play-off ticket. “We therefore knew how important this match was, especially because Hungary won against Armenia.”
| Position | Team | P | GS | W | V | G | DS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +5 | |
| 2 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +3 | |
| 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +1 | |
| 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | -9 |