Results – Premier League
- Brentford 2-2 Manchester City
- Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth
- West Ham 3-2 Fulham
*****
CHRISTIAN NORGAARD SCORED an added-time equaliser as Brentford fought from two goals down to salvage a point from a 2-2 draw against Manchester City at Gtech Community Stadium.
Phil Foden scored a second-half brace to give the champions control but – typical of their patchy season – they shipped goals to Yoane Wissa and Norgaard and had to settle for a Premier League point in west London.
The draw will dampen City’s spirits as they failed to fully take advantage of top-four rivals Chelsea’s draw to Bournemouth.
Seconds after Mikkel Damsgaard’s goal was ruled out for offside, Pep Guardiola’s men took a 66th-minute lead. Kevin De Bruyne produced a curling ball and Foden turned it home. When the England international completed his brace 12 minutes later, the visitors were seemingly on course for three points.
However, Wissa gave the hosts hope when he pulled one back with eight minutes remaining.
And, after a valiant midfield display all match, skipper Norgaard’s efforts were rewarded in the second minute of added time when he equalised, heading an effort goalwards which Ortega got a hand to but could not keep out.
Reece James scored a free-kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time to rescue a 2-2 draw for Chelsea at home to Bournemouth in the Premier League.
The home side looked beaten and could have had few complaints had Antoine Semenyo’s sensational strike midway through the second half turned out to have been the winner.
Chelsea had scored early through Cole Palmer but then true to recent form wasted enough chances to finish Bournemouth before half-time, with Nicolas Jackson striking the post at 1-0 and spurning two further golden opportunities.
Bournemouth levelled through Justin Kluivert’s penalty – Moises Caicedo at fault with a needless foul – then Semenyo crashed in the goal of his life to make it 2-1.
But up stepped James, on as substitute following yet another injury nightmare, to put the pain behind him and steal a point.
Graham Potter worked his magic as West Ham beat Fulham 3-2 in his first home game in charge.
Goals from Carlos Soler, Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta secured a first Premier League victory for Potter, who took over from the sacked Julen Lopetegui last week.
The former Brighton and Chelsea boss has had just three training sessions, and Friday’s FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa, to get his ideas across to his new players.
Yet the Hammers, at times shambolic under Lopetegui, already look like something approaching a functioning, well-drilled football team.
Yes, they were helped by some horrendous Fulham defending, with goalkeeper Bernd Leno in particular having a night to forget.
They also let Alex Iwobi score twice with crosses which flew straight in, to maintain their average of conceding two goals a game this season.
Fulham hit the crossbar twice as well, but West Ham rode their luck and withstood a late barrage to pick up a first home win since 9 December.
Fine margins all the same, serious point gained. Still can’t believe yer man hit the bar after Randolph’s fumble, and also to a lesser extenr that Ivanovic couldn’t convert when clean through
Also, don’t think you can really give Coleman too much credit for that goal-line clearance, it was him not pushing out that led to the chance!
6 is very harsh on Long, thought he was our man of the match, battled bravely all night on his own, and the corner for Murphy’s goal came from a ball he had no right to get to between two defenders, thought he gave them a torrid time from brutal service
If Robbie had played like long tonight everyone would be giving out. Long did little enough.
Hahaahha who cares away point in the bag
Robbie us gone – Shud ave been gone years ago to give the younger lads a chance.
I think Coleman is really poor for Ireland, left his man for their goal, played everyone on side for his goal line clearance and generally their threat came down his wing, don’t rate him as highly as most pundits.
Long was my man of the match. Worked tirelessly and intelligently…something Robbie never did. The team performance doesn’t deserve a rating at all at all.
Brady
Quinn was really influential when he came on and only gets a 5?!?!
Was I watching a different game.
Just listening to K Cunningham on highlights programme. OMG does he even breathe…:he is non stop yap yap yap.
At this moment in time
Yeah like all the has beens, tryin to make a name 4himself in commentary. As for Jim Beglin & Ronnie Whelan – get rid of them.
Better to be a has been than a never was
We don’t have tactics of any note. Free kick anywhere…big men up…lump it up. Sit deep. There is nothing enjoyable about watching that type of football.
I’m as patriotic as anyone but I couldn’t watch 90 minutes of that.
Entertain us a bit please.
The way the game has gone it’s no longer about entertainment….it’s all about getting points..:staying competitive in the group…then selling tickets and that’s the money go round.
Taught the most entertaining moment was when Ronnie Whelan taught Jeff kenna was on the pitch, says it all really
John, even Spain or Germany don’t go out to entertain, they go out to win, international football is not a show, it’s a competitive sport, go to the cinema if you want to be entertained. The rest of us will continue to support our country
I’ve seen your comments before and if I ever get to a stage in my life where I take your advice on what to do for entertainment, that will definitely be my rock bottom.
Thanks for educating me re the ethos of successful teams.
Goodnight poor mouth.
People who think we should be going to Serbia and bossing the game and playing it around all over the gaff haven’t a clue about the game or the standard of players we have in our squad. We didn’t play that great but that’s a great point tonight.
Nobody expects Ireland to be bossing the Serbians for 90 minutes on their own patch…long ball rovers for 90 minutes though is really stuff from the dark ages. Irish players when they play any decent standard of opposition just look technically inept.
Have to agree with most of those ratings, long and hendricks were at least a seven, really hope judge comes back strong and give arter a go. Austria and Wales are beatable
O’shea and whelan need to retire NOW. Dundalk are easier on the eye then trap 2
Agree with you on that. Different level but one thing that has really impressed about Dundalk in Europe so far is how they are not afraid to play composed passing football. Even when they are under pressure against superior teams. When Ireland played with confidence today they really troubles Serbia. Unfortunately after each goal we scored we reverted to type. Serbia had 3 times more passes than us!!
Spot on there Trevor. O Shea is past it Whelan not at this level. Dundalk should have 3 players in this squad. O Donnell,Mcmillan and Horgan. Not too many of this Irish team would make Dundalk’s first 11 . They are actually a better team, very unlucky not to be in CL group stages
Coleman should lose a point for that goal line clearance, he caused the chance by playing everyone one! I couldn’t believe it when I saw that, especially from him!
It’s funny tho when we actually tried to play we were all over them, that Serbia were thier for the takin if O’Neil had made changes at half time when it was obvious we were gonna concede . He’s traps half brother , arter and hoolihan should have started ahead of whealan and ward Brady lb it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realise that. Randolph made 1 error in a muddy pitch he was are best player other than that
Then who would cover that dodgey defence. Whelan didn’t have a great game but its either him or McCarthy. If Arter played instead we would have conceded more than 2
The Goalkeeper got Man of the Match, surely he should be rated better than 6. He kept them in the game.
So what are your ratings supported by,playing away from home where it’s going to be hard for any team to get points, a pitch that was like a bog..but hey on yer scores we should win the wc..good result.
Dundalk can play why can’t we, why do we play like the Flintstones I will never know
This is a very poor team espicaly with whelan and ford also oshea not up to standard
They were all crap as usual – 1 Nil Up & we f(k it up. When will we ever learn. 2Points lost tonite. The usual sambles.
John Delaney , I’d rate zero. “Didn’t show up on the night”!!!
Here we go, another brave performance, total rubbish, we got out of jail after scoring early why sit back, we should have gone all out for 2nd and we would have won. Might win in Georgia, and Moldova but if we play like we did tonight no chance of winning in Austria and Wales. Best we can hope for is play offs.
Why is it every team we play are better than us? Passing the ball seems ti be a big “no no” with this team.When they get it they just lump it forward hoping for lucky break.Having watched Dundalk and Cork City play some decent stuff, we then have to watch this rubbish.Houlahan,Brady and maybe Hendrick are all we have as players. If Keane was no.1 think he would give other players a shot.MON is not going to change his conservetive style of play at this stage
Find this far too critical. We got an away draw against a decent team on a terrible pitch and when we look back on this group we could see this as a key result like the Georgia away win last time.
Still a huge level of unrealism from our media about the quality of a group of players who play for Stoke Burnley Sunderland Stoke and West Brom.
They were there for the taken last night that is a poor Serbia side. And as for the excuse that it was a poor pitch Serbia didn’t have a problem passing the ball on the ground. It’s O’Neill’s hoofball tactics was the problem not the pitch.