Italy v Republic of Ireland Euro 2016 LIVE blog: Irish look to seal spot in second round against Group E winners

REPUBLIC of Ireland will look to upset the odds and beat Italy to secure a place in the second round at Euro 2016.

Martin O’Neill’s side have just one point from their opening two matches and must win to stand any chance of making it through to the last 16.

Italy have already won the group and have a second-round clash with Spain to look forward to on Monday night.

Follow all the action from Lille in the company of GAVIN NEWSHAM.

 

10.00: So it’s the end of a momentous night for the Irish (or the beginning if you’re an Ireland fan). They thoroughly deserved their victory tonight and will now have a last 16 clash against the hosts France. Just brilliant. Thanks for joining me this evening and we’ll see you in the next round. Goodnight!

 

9.58: The remaining ties will see Switzerland take on Poland, Croatia play Portugal, Hungary face Belgium and Italy against Spain. Now it’s getting really exciting…

 

9.55: So England, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales are all through to the last 16 of Euro 2016. England will now play Iceland, Northern Ireland will play Wales, the Republic will now play France (gulp). Win that and they could set up a quarter-final class with England!

 

9.53: YOU BEAUTY!!!

 

9.52: FT: ITALY 0 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 1

 

9.51: Martin O’Neill is already on the pitch and celebrating even though the game is still continuing. Play to the whistle Martin! But it is all over! IRELAND BEAT ITALY AND THEY’RE GOING THROUGH TO THE LAST 16!!!

 

9.47: Stephen Quinn comes on and off goes Shane Long…

9.45: Thank whatever higher power you worship that Wes Hoolahan produced the pass of the night for that goal because I would have feared for his future (and safety) after that glaring miss. A couple of minutes to hold on and Ireland will be through!

 

9.43: Wes Hoolahan redeems himself immediately by floating an impeccable cross in from the right and there’s ROBBIE BRADY who gets in front of Sirigu and heads home! Get in! ITALY 0 IRELAND 1

 

GOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!

 

9.42: NOOOOO!!! The golden chance arrives and it’s blown by Wes Hoolahan. He’s clean through but he hits the weakest shot imaginable but hang on…

 

9.40: But more importantly, Robbie Keane is about to enter the fray! Will we see the forward roll to end all forward rolls?

 

9.38: Another change for the Italians as El Shaarawy comes on for De Sciglio. Just eight minutes left…

 

9.35: WOODWORK ALERT! The Irish ride their luck as the sub Lorenzo Insigne curls a fine effort against the base of the upright and it’s scrambled to safety. Meanwhile, Andrea Barzagli goes in the book for tugging the shirt of James McClean.

 

9.34: Time running out for Ireland as they bring on Wes Hoolahan for James McCarthy.

 

9.30: BOOKING! And it’s Stephen Ward who gets a yellow card for clattering Simone Zaza. Meanwhile, Aidan McGeady blazes over from 25 yards and Ciro Immobile makes way for diddy Lorenzo Insigne.

 

9.29: Less than 20 minutes for Ireland to find that all-important goal. Just looks like they’re running out of steam now.

 

9.27: And it’s Daryl Murphy taking his leave…

 

9.26: Here’s a change for the Irish and it’s Aidan McGeady coming on.

 

9.24: Quite…

9.20: Jeff Hendrick has another effort, wrapping his right-foot around the ball from 18 yards out but it’s always curling wide of the far post. He holds his head in his hands before smoothing his long locks down as though he were in a shampoo advert.

 

9.17: First change for Italy as Man. Utd’s Matteo Darmian comes on for Federico Bernardeschi.

 

9.14: Huge pressure from Ireland now as they force a nervy Italian defence into some sloppy mistakes. The best chance falls for Seamus Coleman who sees his first-time shot blocked as it’s destined for the corner. Shame it fell to him. He’s never scored for his country.

 

9.10: CLOSE! Sublime volley on the turn from Simone Zaza as he latches on to a low cross from the left by De Sciglio but it’s fractions over the top. Super effort, as Ray Wilkins would say.

 

9.09: Shane Long and his Martin Keown moment of madness…

9.04: Howard Webb thinks this wasn’t a penalty. Howard Webb is wrong.

 

9.03: Still don’t like the new kick-off rules either. Just looks weird. Just looks wrong.

 

9.02: Teams ready. Officials ready. Ireland to kick us off. AND WE GO AGAIN!

 

8.57: So we’re almost ready to go again at the Lille Metropole, a stadium that sounds like it’s actually a bingo hall. It was a terrific effort from the Irish in that first half but they’re up against an Italian defence who are using their finely-tuned mastery of football’s dark arts to repel any invaders. Martin O’Neill’s men now have 45 minutes to find the goal that might just send them through.

 

8.48: And the boos ring out from the Irish contingent as the half-time whistle goes. HT: ITALY 0 IRELAND 0

 

8.45: PENALTY APPEAL! James McClean storms into the Italian area and there’s a clear elbow in his back from Bernardeschi that sends him tumbling to the turf. It’s a clear spot-kick but it’s not given. Unbelievable.

 

8.44: CLOSE! That’s a shot across the bows of the Irish team there as Ciro Immobile picks up a loose ball 25 yards out and whistles a shot a foot wide of Darren Randolph’s right-hand post.

 

8.42: Yep, that’s about the size of it…

8.40: BOOKINGS! A caution apiece for Shane Long and Salvatore Sirigu as the Irish striker taunts the Italian keeper in a kind of Martin Keown v Ruud van Nistelrooy stylee and Sirigu responds by shoving Long in the chest. The ref’s having none of that.

 

8.34: Ireland keeper Darren Randolph is put under pressure by Simone Zaza as he tries to kick it clear from eight yards but he leaves the Italian striker for dead with a perfectly executed Cruyff turn. Impressive stuff from the twinkle-toed Hammer…

 

8.27: The Republic are shading this at the moment. They’ve had more possession, more shots and committed more fouls, a fact which will doubtless bring something resembling a smile to Roy Keane’s frightening face.

 

8.22: CLOSE AGAIN FOR IRELAND! It’s a delicious corner in from Robbie Brady and there’s Daryl Murphy with a thumping header that’s in all the way until the pesky Sirigu springs into action and turns it over the top. Getting closer…

 

8.20: Textbook execution of Roy Keane’s instructions by Jeff Hendrick…

8.18: Stephen Ward is down and in some pain after clashing with Bernardeschi. I would say that’s karma for leaving Brighton in the lurch but I’m over that now. Almost.

 

8.16: Still very much in the balance. Ireland’s pressing is admirable but the slightest contact and the Italian players are hitting what’s left of the Lille turf with indecent haste.

 

8.11: CLOSE! It’s the first Irish shot of the night and it’s a howitzer from Jeff Hendrick from 20 yards that whistles just wide of the post. Sirigu was beaten all ends up there. Unlucky.

 

8.09: This picture of the Lille Metropole pitch just in from the SunSport drone…

 

8.06: It’s a fairly decent start from the Irish. There’s a genuine sense of urgency and some real bite to their tackles too, as Jeff Hendrick takes the ball and the legs of Alessandro Florenzi.

 

8.02: Roy Keane’s team talk has done the trick. Seamus Coleman has just sent Mattia De Sciglio absolutely flying within the opening 20 seconds. They really aren’t here to make friends it seems.

 

8.01: And we are off and running!

 

8.00: We’ll get the handshakes, clasps, fist bumps and huddles out of the way and we’ll be good to go. Can Ireland do it?

 

7.57: All stand for the national anthems please. The Irish one is a fairly standard, labouring lament but the Italian one? Man, that’s one straight out of left-field, dancing along with a rare gusto. Love it.

 

7.53: The teams are in the tunnel and there’s Seamus Coleman, skippering the side. Come on you boys in green. Let’s make a miracle! Here they come…

 

7.51: Get in. Get out. Get three points. Indeed…

 

7.47: He could still do a job…

7.45: A lot of criticism of the pitch here in Lille. In fact, it’s so bad, it’s going to be replaced tomorrow. Doesn’t look that bad to me. I mean it’s hardly Glastonbury, is it?

 

7.40: Whereas the fellas…

 

7.37: Italian ladies can wear what they want and still carry it off, can’t they?

 

7.35: Always best to prepare yourself before Clive Tyldesley gets going…

 

7.31: This is how I prefer to remember Martin O’Neill. He’s not dead, by the way. I’m just saying…

 

7.26: Your referee for this evening’s crunch match (for Ireland at least) is Romanian rascal Ovidiu Hategan. He is 35 (24-36).

 

7.23: Italy really are a phenomenal defensive unit. But then they always have been. They’ve only lost two of their 23 games in the group stages of a Euro finals (W12 D9) and they’ve also kept a clean sheet in each of their last four games, their longest run since the 2006 World Cup, which they eventually won. Yep, the odds are stacked against the Irish.

7.19: Lille town centre earlier this evening. Hang on, what the hell is that on the statue?

7.16: “Take them out. We’re not here to make friends”. So says assistant Ireland boss Roy Keane. Now there’s a team talk.

 

7.13: Not only did Ireland have no shots on target in their last game against Belgium but Ireland have never scored more than one goal in a European Championship finals game either. In fact, they’ve scored just four goals in eight matches. All of which suggests that it’s a big ask for Martin O’Neill’s men.

 

7.10: It’s now 22 years since Ray Houghton miskicked the Irish to a famous win over Italy in the 1994 World Cup finals. Can they do it again tonight? Here’s hoping.

7.05: The boffins in the SunSport lab have been number crunching and the earlier results this evening now mean that a win for Sweden or the Republic of Ireland tonight will see NI play Wales in Paris. If they both fail to win it’ll be NI v France in Lyon. Cheers chaps.

 

7.01: FACT ME! Italy are unbeaten in their 12 competitive games under Antonio Conte (W9, D3). In fact, their last defeat was against Uruguay at the 2014 World Cup. In the meantime, here’s a now and then picture of the Italian coach. Miraculous, isn’t it?

 

6.58: You may recall that these two sides met at the 2012 Euros when Cesare Prandelli’s Italy overcame Giovanni Trapattoni’s Republic of Ireland 2-0 thanks to goals from Antonio Cassano and not-so-super Mario…

 

6.54: The water cannons in Lille are rubbish.

6.52: Changes galore for Antonio Conte’s Italy. Hardly surprising given that they’re already through: Sirigu, De Sciglio, Ogbonna, Zaza, Florenzi, Motta, Immobile, Sturaro, Barzagli, Bonucci (c), Bernardeschi

 

6.49: Tell you what, though, let’s just dive into the team news, shall we? And here’s the Ireland team charged with either delivering a victory tonight or having to face this man: Randolph, Coleman, Clark, O’Shea, Whelan, McCarthy, Long, Hendrick, Ward, Brady, Hoolahan.

6.46: Hello and top of the evening to you. I’m Gavin Newsham and I’m here to talk you through the Republic of Ireland’s must-win Group E game against Italy, live from Lille…