Estonia V Ireland - Friday, 11th November 2011 - Euro 2012 Play Off 1st Leg

**EAFC_rdfl** · 11/11/2011, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by Bottle of Tonic

Ffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuckkin hell. Can't believe that result. I'm nearly 29 years old. Italia 90 as a 7 year old changed my life like many others of a similar age on here. I'm finally going to a major championship(poor student in 2002). Will I be 50 before we get to another? Savour this lads.....

On a more cynical note, this is the first time I've felt the inherent corruption of world football at the highest level go in favour of a team I support. I suspect we pulled the Estonians on the back of the hand of frog embarrassment two years ago (handy fall guys the estonians - no big names) and the ref gave us everything tonight in fairness, even though a lot prob were fouls/cards, as the away team you don't normally get half of them.

But Trap knows the craic. I've been a fan all along. International football at our level is about results. Leave the fancy **** to your EPL dream teams. Trappers knows what he's at and those who will label him 'lucky' just dont understand!

Roll on June 2012!

really thought the same watching the game, we were getting compensated for Paris... Well so be it, who cares etc etc! Like you I was a poor student getting ****ed back home during 2002, 10 years on I hope I get the chance to make most of this tournament, provided Tuesday goes ok

**Stuttgart88** · 11/11/2011, 10:30 PM

I'm not sure any of the ref's calls were blatantly wrong tonight, but I have to admit thinking similarly when the draw was made. *** it though. I'm 44, been a devoted fan of this team for >34 of them, and the scales aren't even remotely balanced.

**SkStu** · 11/11/2011, 10:33 PM

The Estonian team are like Heather Mills - the second leg is just for show!

**davey** · 11/11/2011, 10:35 PM

Cannot believe ten years of hurt is over. Fantastic performance - hopefully shut the begrudgers up. Have been ole-ing round the living room! Just finished watching the 2nd half again - Magic stuff

**elroy** · 11/11/2011, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by EAFC_rdfl

really thought the same watching the game, we were getting compensated for Paris... Well so be it, who cares etc etc! Like you I was a poor student getting ****ed back home during 2002, 10 years on I hope I get the chance to make most of this tournament, provided �Tuesday goes ok

That's funny I said to a few of the lads before the draw that UEFA/FIFA may rig the draw and give us Estonia, after last time around. And after 2n I am even more sceptical.

Having said that, the first sending off was right, we were two up before any dodge decision. The second sending off was very harsh, the pen was touch and go but no doubt the better team won.

**elroy** · 11/11/2011, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by davey

Cannot believe ten years of hurt is over. Fantastic performance - hopefully shut the begrudgers up. Have been ole-ing round the living room! Just finished watching the 2nd half again - Magic stuff

Hold fire, don't mean to be party pooper but not there yet, lets be sensible and get Tues night done first. Then its party on

**elroy** · 11/11/2011, 10:53 PM

Qualifying for this tournament is huge, we have a few senior players who this may well be their last campaign. So the team may be in transition after this for a few yrs. Also we have a very tough WC qualifying group so it will be great to break our ten yr absence next summer.

**drummerboy** · 11/11/2011, 11:18 PM

I found the experience quite surreal. I'm usually on the edge of my seat and can't sleep after an Irish game but tonight I was completely calm after the game. I hope the lads put on a show on Tuesday night, the atmosphere should be fantastic. Give the crowd something to sing about, as if they haven't got enough already.

**Sullivinho** · 11/11/2011, 11:26 PM

**Irish_Praha** · 11/11/2011, 11:44 PM

Originally Posted by sullivinho

lol

**koneinc** · 12/11/2011, 12:19 AM

It still hasn't sunk in, I know we still have Tuesday to go but.... we're nearly there, can't wait to get home, the Aviva is going to be rocking on Tuesday!

**mypost** · 12/11/2011, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by elroy

That's funny I said to a few of the lads before the draw that UEFA/FIFA may rig the draw and give us Estonia, after last time around. And after 2n I am even more sceptical.

It wasn't rigged, it never has been. We got the luck of the draw this time, it happens sometimes. Sometimes we don't, and we have to accept it. It's only easy if you go and take advantage of a favourable draw. For once, we have done that.

Having said that, the first sending off was right, we were two up before any dodge decision. The second sending off was very harsh, the pen was touch and go but no doubt the better team won.

All the decisions were correct, they can have no complaints with any of them.

**Charlie Darwin** · 12/11/2011, 2:13 AM

Lads, we had a 1/4 chance of getting Estonia. It was hardly that unlikely. UEFA don't owe us anything anyway, so why would they go out of their way to rig a draw for us?

**ifk101** · 12/11/2011, 9:10 AM

Originally Posted by Toolik

Glad we got Ireland.

Ouch!

**John83** · 12/11/2011, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by JGKyne

I had a dream last night Walters put us 1 up in the first 10mins, I woke up before the game ended though...
We were also wearing pink jerseys oddly enough!! I wonder which is most likely to happen tonight??

?

**Kingdom** · 12/11/2011, 2:38 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

had a dream last night. It was 2-0 to us at half time and magically became 4-0 about a half second later so im pretty confident that that is whats going to happen tonight. I also dreamt i was project managing a huge multi-million dollar construction development so it was good to get a "heads up" on that.

first-dibs on shares!

**elroy** · 14/11/2011, 9:05 AM

Anyone hear Big Jack on SSN last night. What a man!! It was great to hear him, we dont see him enough on our shows (especially when you consider the dross we regularly have on the likes of the Late late etc).

There appeared to be a delay on the phone line or else Jack is getting a bit slow at answering the Q's. He was never a great lad for the media in fairness. Full of praise for Trap and the team. Kept referring to Ireland as we and thinks that we will surprise a few people in the Euros. He is coming over for the second leg and looking forward to heading to Ballina after for bit of fishing.

**ifk101** · 14/11/2011, 9:44 AM

It seems the Estonians are a little bit upset my a comment made by Robbie Keane after the match. He was asked by an Estonian reporter if he felt sorry for Estonia. A bemused Robbie said no, adding nobody felt sorry for us two years ago.

They also seem unhappy with the referee's performance. I don't think they can have any complaints. The first red card was a sending off in its own right. Robbie was lucky to avoid a serious injury there as he landed very awkwardly. The second sending off was the correct decision as well. Their player received his first yellow for persistent fouling and a deliberate hand ball is an automatic yellow.

**pineapple stu** · 14/11/2011, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by ifk101

A bemused Robbie said no, adding nobody felt sorry for us two years ago.

Did he say that? Sure everyone was sorry for us two years ago; it was world-wide news!

Probably understandable in the heat of the moment to be unhappy with the ref - there was the penalty claim too (which was correctly given as a foul just outside the area). I would hope though that in the cold light of day, they'd see that the ref was right in every decision.

**jbyrne** · 14/11/2011, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Probably understandable in the heat of the moment to be unhappy with the ref - there was the penalty claim too (which was correctly given as a foul just outside the area)

the ref did get that decision wrong..... the estonian player 100% took a dive. no question about it