| David McGoldrick’s late header secured a crucial draw against Switzerland in Dublin to keep the Republic of Ireland unbeaten in Euro 2020 qualifying |
David McGoldrick’s first international goal grabbed Ireland a potentially crucial 1-1 draw in their Euro 2020 qualifier with Switzerland on Thursday as an easy victory for rivals Denmark in Gibraltar kept things incredibly tight at the top of Group D.
Fabian Schar looked like he had won it for the visitors on 74 minutes when he finished off a brilliantly worked team goal but just as they did in Copenhagen in June, Ireland secured a point near the death thanks to McGoldrick’s 85th-minute header.
“It’s been a long time coming,” the 31-year-old late bloomer said in a pitchside interview after notching his first Irish goal in 11 caps.
“We’ve got some tough games to come, but if we play like that it will stand us in good stead.”
The draw kept Mick McCarthy’s men on top of the group with 11 points from five games, three ahead of Denmark, who have one game in hand and six clear of the Swiss, who have played two fewer games.
In Gibraltar, Denmark were easy 6-0 winners thanks to two Christian Eriksen penalties, a Christian Gytkjaer brace from open play and one each for Robert Skov and Thomas Delaney
Euro 2020 Qualifying results on Thursday:
Armenia 1-3 Italy
Republic of Ireland 1-1 Switzerland
Gibraltar 0-6 Denmark
Romania 1-2 Spain
Norway 2-0 Malta
Faroe Islands 0-4 Sweden
Israel 1-1 North Macedonia
Finland 1-0 Greece
Bosnia-Herzegovina 5-0 Liechtenstein