France V Ireland - Wednesday, 18th November 2009 - World Cup 2010 Playoff Second Leg

[endabob1]

Yes agree - we were the better side and the officials missed it and we have every right to feel robbed - but let's drop the cheating so and so and that he is only a scumbag etc etc etc etc

Why? We were cheated, and he is a scumbag, where's the confusion?

[Fixer82]

Well i thought i'd never say this, but if England play France at the world cup, it will be the first time i ever hoped England won..

now let's not be rash!


sick as a dog. We didnt deserve tht at all. well done lads, you did us proud. Kilbane was excellent, Dunne and Sledge were mountains, O'Shea was excellent, Duffer ran his socks off and his tears nearly got me going down the same road at the end. Robbie was fantastic and proved to any naysayers he's world class. Shame our subs were Gibson and McShane. no offence to the lads but what I wouldve given to see Stephen Reid and Finnan coming on instead....

Bring in a video ref now!!!

[ofjames]

Calm down everybody - clearly handball but it happens all of the time and it is gutting that it happened at such a key time in the game

But it happens all of the time - and if it was at the other end we would whooping and talking about professionalism etc

thats a load of crap, how does it happen all the time?

the ball was going out of play, the only possible way henry could keep it in was by hooking it with his hand. it was a blatant act of cheating

granted wrong decisions over offsides and dives happen all the time, but this is something altogether different. this is akin to maradona against england in 1986.

[old git]

If Robbie Keane or Kevin Doyle did the same and Ireland went through would ye be complaining.

Mind you after that Henry would make a good corner forward on a Gaelic football team. If he had done much more he would have solo-ed and hopped it. It looked at least a double hand ball.

There could have been an off-side in the build up as well

off course we would not complain if an irish player did the same but i can say 100% ref & linesmen would not have missed 2 players offside and a blatent handball if it was an irish player so much for our so called " luck of the irish " also mc shane should have attacked ball and cleared it

[Leeside Swagger]

We were incredibly unlucky not to get either the offside or the handball

[awec]

Unlucky lads. Thought your team played very well tonight, should have scored at least 3 inside 90 minutes. You really can't afford to miss chances like the Duff and Keane ones at that level.

Disgusting goal for their goal. Blatant cheating.

You probably deserved it more and were cheated out of it.

[DonnyG]

Gutted. I am in bits after being cheated from getting to the WC.

However I am proud of my team who were definitely the better side on the night.

Now I have to face a day's work after getting up at 4am for the game - it's gonna be a long day

[ball-hop]

Theft! Cheated. A double hand ball, plus the offside at the time of the free kick. All that was missing was the ref or lino scoring the goal.

Heart breaking.

Small bit of credit - their 'keeper made two saves in Dublin to keep them in the game, and two more tonight. Duff was on target, Lloris pushed Keane very wide....

[carloz]

Yes agree - we were the better side and the officials missed it and we have every right to feel robbed - but let's drop the cheating so and so and that he is only a scumbag etc etc etc etc

The fact that he apologised to the irish players afterwards says it all about him. He knew he had cheated us, and that in my mind makes him scum. I won't apologise for saying that.

[Park_Lane]

handballs happen all the time in the game, but deliberate handballs are a different matter thats cheating. Henry is a cheat pure and simple, no better than maradonna '86.

[ofjames]

handballs happen all the time in the game, but deliberate handballs are a different matter thats cheating. Henry is a cheat pure and simple, no better than maradonna '86.

here here, anyone who cant distinguish the above is retarded

[sligofan4ever]

Cheating, snail eating backstards Not only did Henry handball it twice, there was also two players offside! Referee was in great position to see it, not brave enough to call another disallowed goal ?

This shouldn't take away from an outstanding performance. My MOTM was Sean St.Ledger, he has barely got a word of praise yet and whenever called upon has done brilliantly! Duff,Keane,Lawrence,Andrews,Whelan,Kilbane,Dunne and pretty much all the Irish players done themselves proud tonight!

[old git]

handballs happen all the time in the game, but deliberate handballs are a different matter thats cheating. Henry is a cheat pure and simple, no better than maradonna '86.

hold on now maradona in 86 against england is acceptable

[no17 fan]

anyone that says we would be saying professionalism if keane had done that is clueless about football, simply put Henry is a cheat and that ref should never see an international match again. i hope he throws his hands up and takes responsibility.

[rambler14]

Robbie Keane was caught FIVE TIMES handling the ball. Henry does it once and the fcuker misses it!

[papa-j]

Henry is our Maradonna moment, hopefully his career will take a similar path.
Every Irish man inside that stadium should be proud of themselves. A country a fraction the size of France has outplayed, outfought and outsang them. Proud as fcuk but gutted and sick of moral victories. We were so close to reliving those wonderful past glories at the WC. Words cant desciribe this.....

[ChrisRed]

Shay, Kevin, Richard, Sean, John, Liam, Glenn, Keith, Damien, Robbie, Kevin, Eddie, Paul, Darren, Stephen, Andy, Aiden, Martin, Caleb, Leon and Shane thanks a lot.
You did all you could. Thanks

[Noelys Guitar]

The game should be replayed. I mean it. It they really want to stamp out cheating then start replaying games if players blatantly cheat. (Especially if that prat Platini won't allow technology to be used).

[Park_Lane]

Performance by us was outstanding. I'm so proud to be Irish. Keane, Andrews, Lawrence, Duffer absolutley brilliant cant ask for anymore. Despite all the dour performances in this campaign we are going to be a serious team in the Euro qualifiiers and I for one cannot wait to get into lansdowne road to roar the boys on again.

[MysticMon]

CHEATING THIEF HENRY...................OUTRAGEOUS...
IRELAND BY FAR THE BEST TEAM TONIGHT!!! WELL DONE LADS..STILL PROUD TO BE IRISH, EVEN THOUGH THE FRENCH STOLE THE GAME!!!

TOTALLY ROBBED!!!!!!