Controversial Switzerland penalty puts Northern Ireland behind in play-off

The road to Russia for Northern Ireland has been pot-holed by a potentially fatal blunder. “Dare to Dream” is their World Cup slogan but Michael O’Neill will have nightmares over the penalty that gifted Switzerland a crucial win and away goal in the first leg of the play-off.

Northern Ireland were under pressure throughout but had barely conceded a chance to Switzerland when the Romanian referee, Ovidiu Hategan, ludicrously punished Corry Evans for a deliberate handball that never was. The Blackburn Rovers midfielder blocked Xherdan Shaqiri with the back of his shoulder as he turned away from a venomous volley but was adjudged to have handled inside his area. Ricardo Rodríguez’s confident penalty left Northern Ireland seething with anger but also facing a remote prospect of qualifying for a World Cup for the first time in 32 years. They will have to become the first team since England in 2014 to win a competitive game in Switzerland to erase Hategan from the memory bank.

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