Irish team delights fans

Press, 19 November 1982, Page 36

Irish team delights fans

NZPA Paris Northern Ireland took up. where it left off in the World Cup finals in Spain and delighted its fans by inflicting a 1-0 defeat on the defending champion, West Germany, in a European Nations Championship, qualifying match in rain-swept Belfast yesterday. . - Eire fought back in Dublin to force a . 3-3 draw with Spain; and police moved to protect England’s tiny army of well behaved supporters in Greece as the hosts crashed to a 0-3 defeat. In yesterday’s other matches, Austria crushed Turkey, 4-0, in Vienna; Switzerland beat Scotland, 2-0, in

Berne, and Yugoslavia snatched a single goal victory over visiting Bulgaria in Belgrade* J ■ Northern Ireland, making its. first home appearance since the World Cup, sent ■ strife-torn Belfast wild with joy when it clinched its sensational victory over the defending champion. Its vital goal was scored by lan Stewart, who had to pass a. fitness test before making his international debut' ■ The . Irish never looked back after, suviving a second- 1 minute scare when Pierre Littbarski headed’wide of ah open goal. • j They stormed forward, and quickly found their stride?' with several players going

close. Then Stewart sent the 30,000 crowd crazy with delight when he let fly with a 25-metre shot that left the goal-keeper, Harald Schumacher, no chance. The Republic of Ireland kept alive its slender hopes of reaching the final stages of the championship after a stirring comeback against Spain. Even a' draw looked unlikely when Spain, having ruthlessly punished Ireland’s defensive lapses, led 3-1, after an hour. The Irish looked down and out, but recovered magnificently as two goals by Frank Stapleton enabled them to salvage a well deserved point. In Salonika, England s

flagging football reputation received a mighty boost when Bobby Robson’s makeshift, injury-hit side crushed Greece, 3-0, to jump to the head of group three. It was a, remarkable performance and Mr Robson s first taste of victory since taking over from Ron Greenwood after the World Cup finals. , ' And the English fans who bypassed the F.A. ban and went to the match for once did not disgrace themselves. The only bad behaviour came from the Greek supporters, who began pelting about 200 English fans with missiles. Police had to move the visiting supporters to another section of the stadium.