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Mateusz Klich takes the ball back to the centre circle after his late equaliser for Poland.
Mateusz Klich takes the ball back to the centre circle after his late equaliser for Poland. Photograph: MB Media/Getty Images
Mateusz Klich takes the ball back to the centre circle after his late equaliser for Poland. Photograph: MB Media/Getty Images

International roundup: Klich denies Republic of Ireland win over Poland

This article is more than 5 years old
Millwall’s Aiden O’Brien scores on debut in 1-1 draw
Northern Ireland coast to 3-0 friendly win over Israel

Aiden O’Brien marked his senior international debut with a goal as the Republic of Ireland came within minutes of ending a turbulent week with a morale-boosting victory in Poland.

The 24-year-old Millwall striker looked to have won the day with his 53rd-minute header, but Mateusz Klich equaliser’s in the 87th minute snatched a 1-1 draw.

Having spent much of the run-up to the game in Wroclaw having to handle the fall-out from assistant Roy Keane’s summer rant at Harry Arter and Jonathan Walters, Martin O’Neill saw his depleted squad provide a response to their Nations League drubbing in Wales on Thursday evening.

They were roundly criticised in the wake of a 4-1 loss in Cardiff, where they were porous in defence and toothless in attack as they slipped to a fourth defeat in five games.

However, a team featuring two regular starters in the goalkeeper Darren Randolph and midfielder Jeff Hendrick, reverted to type in front of a crowd of 25,455, denying Poland time and space and looked to have nicked victory until Klich intervened.

Gavin Whyte needed less than two minutes of his Northern Ireland debut to find the net in a 3-0 win over Israel in a friendly at Windsor Park.

Gavin Whyte scores Northern Ireland’s third goal after coming off the bench in the second half. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters

Whyte scored the final goal soon after coming on as a substitute to add to first-half goals from Steven Davis and Stuart Dallas.

It helped the home side to a first win in four and a much-needed result after the frustration of Saturday’s 2-1 Nations League loss to Bosnia & Herzegovina in a match Northern Ireland dominated.

Though they did not enjoy the same levels of possession or create as many chances, Northern Ireland did succeed in carving out clear openings and made them count.

Quick Guide

Nations League: latest results and fixtures

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Thursday

League A, Group 1: Germany 0-0 France
B1: Czech Republic 1-2 Ukraine
B4: Wales 4-1 Republic of Ireland
C3: Norway 2-0 Cyprus, Slovenia 1-2 Bulgaria
C4: Lithuania 0-1 Serbia, Romania 0-0 Montenegro
D1: Kazakhstan 0-2 Georgia, Latvia 0-0 Andorra
D4: Armenia 2-1 Liechtenstein, Gibraltar 0-2 Macedonia

Friday

A3: Italy 1-1 Poland
B2: Turkey 1-2 Russia
C1: Albania 1-0 Israel
C4: Lithuania 0-1 Serbia, Romania 0-0 Montenegro
D3: Azerbaijan 0-0 Kosovo, Faroe Islands 3-1 Malta

Saturday

A2: Switzerland 6-0 Iceland
A4: England 1-2 Spain 
B3: Northern Ireland 1-2 Bosnia-Herzegovina
C2: Finland 1-0 Hungary, Estonia 0-1 Greece
D2: Belarus 5-0 San Marino, Luxembourg 4-0 Moldova

Sunday

A1: France 2-1 Netherlands
B1: Ukraine 1-0 Slovakia
B4: Denmark 2-0 Wales
C3: Bulgaria 1-0 Norway, Cyprus 2-1 Slovenia
D1: Georgia 1-0 Latvia
D4: Macedonia 2-0 Armenia, Liechtenstein 2-0 Gibraltar

Monday

A3: Portugal 1-0 Italy
B2: Sweden 2-3 Turkey
C1: Scotland 2-0 Albania
C4: Serbia 2-2 Romania, Montenegro 2-0 Lithuania
D1: Andorra 1-1 Kazakhstan
D3: Kosovo 2-0 Faroe Islands, Malta 1-1 Azerbaijan

Tuesday

A2: Iceland 0-3 Belgium
A4: Spain 6-0 Croatia
B3: Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0 Austria
C2: Hungary 2-1 Greece, Finland 1-0 Estonia
D2: San Marino 0-3 Luxembourg, Moldova 0-0 Belarus

Photograph: Francois Nel - UEFA/UEFA
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Romelu Lukaku scored twice and won a penalty that Eden Hazard converted as Belgium beat Iceland 3-0 in their Nations League A, Group 2 game in Reykjavik.

Lukaku was bundled over by Sverrir Ingi Ingason in the 28th minute and the referee immediately pointed to the spot, with Hazard sending Hannes Halldórssón the wrong way with the resulting penalty.

Lukaku then made it 2-0 to Belgium, firing a close-range shot on the rebound that was judged to have crossed the line before Birkir Saevardsson managed to clear. The Manchester United striker then added a third with a deft flick nine minutes from full-time.

It was Belgium’s first game in the new competition and ended a run of 13 competitive matches unbeaten at home for Iceland, who were hammered 6-0 by Switzerland away in their opening Nations League game on Saturday.

In League B, Edin Dzeko grabbed the only goal of the game in the 78th minute as Bosnia overcame Austria in Zenica.

In League C, Hungary edged a 2-1 win over Greece in Budapest. Roland Sallai’s 15th-minute goal was quickly cancelled out by Kostas Manolas, but a 42nd-minute effort from László Kleinheisler proved enough for the Hungarians to bounce back from Saturday’s opening 1-0 defeat in Finland.

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Finland maintained their promising start to the competition as Teemu Pukki’s goal in the 12th minute proved decisive in a 1-0 victory over Estonia in Turku.

In League D, Luxembourg eased to a 3-0 win in San Marino, while Moldova and Belarus drew 0-0.

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