And finally, here’s Paul Doyle’s match report.
Shane Long came off the bench to score the winner for the Republic of Ireland as they beat the world champions for the first time and kept alive their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2016 with a famous victory
Updated
Thu 8 Oct 2015 16.50 EDT
First published on Thu 8 Oct 2015 13.45 EDT
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In any case, a heroic performance from the Republic of Ireland. It’s their first ever competitive win over Germany. They were outplayed for long periods and it looked like they were going to get walloped in the first 20 minutes. Yet they knuckled down and the longer the game stayed goalless, the more their belief grew and the more you suspected they might be able to nick a goal - and so it proved, Shane Long coming off the bench to score the winner. All that possession from Germany, all those misses, all those crosses, and all it took to settle the match was one long punt from Darren Randolph. It sure is a funny old game! Thanks for reading and emailing. Night.
Germany are top with 19 points and play Georgia on Sunday. They will expect to win. Poland are locked on 18 points apiece. They drew 1-1 when they met in Dublin. Ireland will be certain of qualifying if they win in Warsaw and a 2-2 draw or more would mean they finish above Poland. If Poland and Ireland draw, Germany would finish third if they lose to Georgia. I think. This is all very convoluted.
Ireland and Poland are both assured of a play-off place at least and will fight it out for the last automatic spot in Warsaw on Sunday. Everyone’s happy! Except for Scotland. They’re out. And except for Germany. They need a point to be sure they’re going to be sure of an automatic place. They have an inferior head to head record against both Poland and Ireland.
Full-time: Republic of Ireland 1-0 Germany!!!
Ireland have beaten the world champions!
90 min+4: The ball is lifted into the Ireland area. Hummels flings himself at the cross but his header goes straight at Randolph! Ireland are seconds away.
90 min+3: Germany finally retrieve possession. It’s time for nerves.
90 min+2: Germany run the ball behind in their attempt to get it clear. Ireland have another corner!
90 min: It’s finished Scotland 2-2 Poland at Hampden Park. Scotland are going out asitstands. There will be four minutes of stoppage time here and Ireland have a corner. The stadium is bouncing.
GOAL! POLAND HAVE EQUALISED!
89 min: It’s 2-2 at Hampden Park. Robert Lewandowski has scrambled the ball over the line in stoppage time and Poland are level! Ireland have the ball deep in Germany’s half. “If Hector continued his footballing Odyssey at Ajax, you’d hope he manages to keep his Achilles healthy,” sats Stephen Mitchell. “It’d be a real Tragedy if injuries meant a career playing in Greece. Same goes for [Watford Striker] Troy [Deeney].”
88 min: Cyrus Christie plays the ball against Thomas Muller and the ball goes behind for an Ireland goal-kick. There has never been a bigger cheer for an Ireland goal-kick.
86 min: Mats Hummels is booked for tripping Shane Long near the halfway line. There did not appear to be much contact. Remember this as the night when Shane Long terrorised Germany.
85 min: Kevin Volland replaces Ilkay Gundogan for Germany. Robbie Brady is led off the pitch after his cramp drama. “Ireland find touch in the opposition half,” says Niall Mullen. “Can we win the line out against the throw?”
83 min: Anywhere will do for Ireland. Robbie Brady is down with cramp.
82 min: Gundogan attempts to thread a precise shot into the bottom-left corner from 20 yards with the inside of his right foot. Randolph reads his intentions and saves well.
81 min: Jerome Boateng strides forward and unleashes a fearsome piledriver towards the top-left corner from 25 yards. Darren Randolph flies to his left and pushes the ball wide for a corner! The ball is cleared as far as Kroos, whose shot is charged down. Ireland are defending heroically.
78 min: Thomas Muller - the Thomas Muller - misses an outstanding chance to equaliser for Germany. Do not adjust your screens. Thomas Muller. Hector found space on the left and Ireland, who have been susceptible to the cutback all evening, were all over the place again. Muller was 12 yards out and he had time, space and a clear sight of goal. The ball was on his trusty right foot, he picked his spot and he lifted it inches past the right post! I cannot believe that. That’s more surprising than Ireland scoring.
77 min: Germany bring on a winger for a defender, Karim Bellarabi replacing Matthias Ginter.
75 min: If the scores in both games stay the same, Germany will qualify regardless of losing and Ireland will go above Poland into second place. This is one almighty kick in the balls for Scotland, who will be relying on Ireland winning in Poland. Scotland’s head to head record against Poland is superior.
74 min: Gundogan pops up on the edge of the area and tries to shape one into the top corner. It’s a harmless effort.
73 min: The noise from the Irish fans is something else now. The roof is about to come off. Ireland break and Hoolahan looks for a second goal. His shot from 20 yards goes wide.
72 min: Germany immediately look to respond. A corner on the left. Briefly it looks like a header is about to drop in. There is silence. It goes wide. And breathe.
GOAL!!!! Republic of Ireland 1-0 Germany (Long, 70 min)
This is brilliantly simple. Darren Randolph, Ireland’s substitute goalkeeper, boots a long clearance up the pitch and Germany’s defence is caught out! This is so simple. Shane Long hares clear, away from the Germany centre-backs, and when the crucial moment arrives, he keeps his composure and rams a superb finish high into Manuel Neuer’s top-right corner from just inside the area! From one substitute to another. Martin O’Neill is a tactical mastermind. Ireland are out of jail. This is like Holland 2001 all over again!
69 min: Stephen Ward’s final contribution was that vital block that surely kept the game level. His race is run. David Meyler replaces him. Ireland have made three substitutions.
68 min: Hoolahan loses the ball carelessly near Ireland’s area, the pass going straight to Schurlle. He storms towards the area and plays a reverse pass through to Muller, to his left. Muller takes the ball in his stride and tries to knock it back into Schurrle’s path. Who’s in the way? Stephen Ward.
66 min: A wincing Stephen Ward gets to his feet. He’s hobbling but he’s going to continue for now. The game resumes and Reus escapes down the left and makes into the area. No one bothers closing him down, which is odd defending to say the least, but Reus’s low ball somehow flashes across the face of goal and away to safety.
65 min: Stephen Ward is down injured. Ward and Shay Given are the two Ireland players who haven’t started a league game this season. Given has already gone off injured. Meanwhile Shane Long has replaced Daryl Murphy.
64 min: Hoolahan runs on to a loose ball and chests it down before charging towards the area. He’s stopped by Hummels but the ball runs to Murphy, who pummels a shot not too far wide from 25 yards.
63 min: Ireland are enjoying a spell of pressure. They’re not really going anywhere with it, or even threatening a goal, but you feel that they need to capitalise on this brief dominance while it lasts.
61 min: Muller drops his shoulder on the edge of the area, tricking the Ireland defence into thinking he’s about to shoot, and prods a beautifully disguised pass through to Reus. However it’s just too heavy and Randolph is out quickly to smother it.
60 min: “I hope Hector signs for Ajax,” says Andrew White. You guys really know your Trojan War. What an educated audience.
58 min: As it stands, Germany will qualify tonight if the score stays 0-0, Poland will be second with 17 points, Ireland will be third with 16 and Scotland will be fourth with 14. Poland host Ireland on Sunday and Scotland will expect to beat Gibraltar. The onus is on Ireland now.
GOAL! SCOTLAND LEAD AGAINST POLAND!
57 min: Scotland have turned it around! Steven Fletcher bends a magnificent left-footed finish into the left corner and after falling a goal down in the opening minutes, Gordan Strachan’s side lead Poland 2-1 at Hampden Park! This is an extremely damaging development from Ireland’s perspective.
55 min: Ireland win a free-kick on the left. Brady hoicks it towards the far post but he overcooks the cross. Neuer catches it and immediately launches a monstrous throw towards Marco Reus, speeding down the left, Ireland suddenly exposed after sending men forward for the free-kick. Reus is held up by Christie but he jinks inside and spots Schurrle arriving in the area. He lifts a glorious cross towards the far post and Schurrle somehow sidefoots his volley over the bar. What a miss!
53 min: “I hope Hector’s presence doesn’t mean there will be a repeat of the crimes of Paris!” Dean Kinsella says, a lovely nod to Thierry Henry’s infamous handball back in 2009.
51 min: Ireland are working so hard. The problem is their players must feel like they have already run several marathons and the injury to Shay Given means that Martin O’Neill has already been forced into making a substitution.
50 min: Schurrle receives a pass with his back to goal on the left. A sharp turn and a shot follows, but the ball zooms into Row Z.
48 min: Ireland have a much more compact shape than in the first 20 minutes. Germany are keeping their cool, staying patient. Breaking down the Ireland defence might not be easy.
46 min: The second half begins. Ireland take kick-off. It does not take long for Germany to take control of the ball.
The second half between Scotland and Poland is underway. It’s 1-1. It’s tense. What the home fans would give for another goal. For the price of one measly goal, they’d probably agree to go boozing with David Cameron and all that entails.
Half-time: Republic of Ireland 0-0 Germany
The first half draws to a close. Germany were brilliant for 20 minutes and could easily be two or three goals up but the game has rather meandered since then. Ireland’s defending has been desperate at times but they are still in this game. A huge second half awaits us. See you in 15 minutes.
45 min+1: There will be three minutes of stoppage time.
45 min: As it stands, Scotland will still be going out. They need another goal but what a boost that is for Gordon Strachan’s side. It’s Scotland 1-1 Poland at half-time.
SCOTLAND HAVE SCORED! IT'S SCOTLAND 1-1 POLAND!
44 min: Scotland have equalised on the stroke of half-time, courtesy of yet another wonder goal from Matt Ritchie! The man who scored a stunning volley for Bournemouth last month receives possession on the edge of the area and then blasts a wonderful curler high into the top corner from 25 yards!
43 min: Shay Given is taken off on a stretcher. This is a blow for Ireland. Darren Randolph replaces him.
42 min: Shay Given’s evening appears to be over. He’s signalling to the bench that he can’t continue, having injured his knee taking a goal-kick. His last contribution is to boot the ball out for a throw-in with Schurrle closing him down and having done so, he immediately falls to the turf.
40 min: Germany find a final ball. Ginter slips Muller in on the right. He reaches the byline and rams a cross towards the far post but Mesut Ozil seems to have left his shooting boots in North London. Shay Given stands and watches as Ozil’s gentle shot slithers inches past the right post. That is a bad miss.
39 min: Germany’s final ball has been pretty poor in the past 20 minutes. Maybe it’s the lack of a target man, a focal point, a Carsten Jancker.
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