THE SUMMER OF 1995 was not the good time in Irish football.
Jack Charlton’s side, having started their qualification campaign for Euro ’96 with a maximum nine points from three games and gone on to beat Portugal at Lansdowne Road, saw the rot set in with a scoreless draw away to Liechtenstein.
Just eight days later, Austria – and Toni Polster’s magnificent permed mullet – came to Dublin.
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Ray Houghton gave the home side the lead with 23 minutes of the match remaining, before two efforts from Polster – one a curling free-kick, the other a thumping header – sandwiched Andreas Ogris’ polished finish.
(YouTube credit: jonathanjackson)
The following September, Ireland travelled to Vienna and things did not get any prettier, Peter Stoger grabbing a hat-trick and Paul McGrath’s header proving no consolation at all in another 3-1 defeat.
(YouTube credit: sp1873)
A 3-0 defeat to group winners Portugal looked to have ended Ireland’s hopes of making a play-off, but they still managed to finish second ahead of Northern Ireland, based purely on the results of the matches between the two sides.
Charlton’s side would face the Netherlands, and a young Patrick Kluivert, at Anfield. A 2-0 defeat meant that Ireland would not travel to England the following summer, and the Charlton era was over.
VIDEO: So, what happened the last time we met Austria?
THE SUMMER OF 1995 was not the good time in Irish football.
Jack Charlton’s side, having started their qualification campaign for Euro ’96 with a maximum nine points from three games and gone on to beat Portugal at Lansdowne Road, saw the rot set in with a scoreless draw away to Liechtenstein.
Just eight days later, Austria – and Toni Polster’s magnificent permed mullet – came to Dublin.
Ray Houghton gave the home side the lead with 23 minutes of the match remaining, before two efforts from Polster – one a curling free-kick, the other a thumping header – sandwiched Andreas Ogris’ polished finish.
(YouTube credit: jonathanjackson)
The following September, Ireland travelled to Vienna and things did not get any prettier, Peter Stoger grabbing a hat-trick and Paul McGrath’s header proving no consolation at all in another 3-1 defeat.
(YouTube credit: sp1873)
A 3-0 defeat to group winners Portugal looked to have ended Ireland’s hopes of making a play-off, but they still managed to finish second ahead of Northern Ireland, based purely on the results of the matches between the two sides.
Charlton’s side would face the Netherlands, and a young Patrick Kluivert, at Anfield. A 2-0 defeat meant that Ireland would not travel to England the following summer, and the Charlton era was over.
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COYBIG Ireland v Austria retro