đź”— Share this article Late Header from Neves Shocks the Irish After Kelleher Denies Ronaldo Penalty The Portuguese midfielder came to the rescue for the Portuguese side with a injury-time winning goal in their World Cup qualifying clash against the Republic of Ireland, after CaoimhĂn Kelleher had denied a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo. Game Summary The Wolves midfielder nodded in during stoppage time to secure a 1-0 victory, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice at the death to overcome a stubborn Ireland team. The Irish squad appeared poised to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but in the end left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of honor with a gritty performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing loss in Armenia. Nevertheless, the loss puts them facing elimination, with their first three Group F matches having produced only a solitary point. They need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any hope of securing a qualifying place. Key Incidents Kelleher looked to have secured Ireland a point when he superbly saved Ronaldo’s spot-kick with his trailing leg after a Portuguese player’s shot had struck Dara O’Shea’s hand. The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the opening moments of added time when he headed a delivery from the wing past the Irish goalkeeper. Additional Group Results Portugal’s Group The Hungarian team enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a two-goal triumph over the Armenian side, moving above their opponents into the runner-up spot behind the group leaders in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided his team the advantage in the first half and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the victory in late stoppage time. England’s Group The Serbian national team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker scored the decisive strike for his team with a well-taken shot in first-half stoppage time. Latvia struggles in their group persisted as they were held to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. An Andorran player found the net for the away side 12 minutes from time to claim them their first point of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s poor form to several matches. Spain’s Group Spain continued their dominant Group E run with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after strikes from a Spanish attacker and his teammate in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having notched 11 goals in three games without conceding. In spite of the absence of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side showcased their dominance against a Georgia team that passed most of the match sitting back. Spain dominated the match with over eighty percent possession, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a clear chance, with only shot-stopper their keeper averting a rout. Pino broke the deadlock in the first half from a expertly taken set-piece routine, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a stunning set-piece after Mamardashvili had denied Ferran Torres’s penalty. Additional Scores The Turkish national team bounced back with a comprehensive thrashing over the Bulgarian side to keep the pressure on the group leaders in Group E. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the scorers. The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory away to Estonia, thanks to strikes from a forward, another attacker, and a third scorer. The Italian coach said: “We’re not thinking about the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of what we have to do.” Italy failed to qualify for the last two global tournaments, on two occasions missing out in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now appears their most likely chance after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 hammering over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six games. Italy have 12 points with a match less played on their rivals and are three points clear of Israel. Estonia remain fourth on three points. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup, with the runners-up going into the qualifying stage. The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement second spot and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal ratio means a qualifying place likely awaits for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.