IRELAND’S EURO 88 dream came to an end, as they bowed out of the tournament following a brave 1-0 loss to Holland.
Coming up against a Dutch side that included a number of world class players, including Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten, Jack Charlton’s men more than held their own, with a Paul McGrath header inches away from giving them a surprise first-half lead.
However, Wim Kieft’s late goal sealed victory for the Dutch in fortuitous circumstances.
A Paul McGrath clearing header was volleyed back towards the area by Ronald Koeman, and his shot was deflected into the net courtesy of a hopeful header from Kieft.
The adventure was over for Ireland, but they left the tournament with their pride intact, having shown the world that they were capable of competing with the very best teams on the international stage.
As Charlton reflected years laters (see video below):
“The Dutch at that time were probably the strongest team in the world, and we gave them a game. We gave them a real game.
YouTube credit: CuChoileain
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