Romania clinched a spot in Euro 2016 with a 3-0 away win over the Faeroe Islands on Sunday, while Greece beat Hungary 4-3 to avoid a winless qualifying campaign.
Two first-half goals by Constantin Bulescu secured second place in Group F for Romania, behind already-qualified Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland drew 1-1 with Finland in Helsinki after allowing a late equalizer by Paulus Arajuuri. Craig Cathcart had put the visitors ahead in the 31st minute.
Photo: Reuters
In Torshavn, Faeroe Islands, Bulescu opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a powerful shot just inside the penalty area after a cross from the left by Razvan Rat.
Budescu’s second came from what seemed to be intended as a cross in first-half stoppage-time that looped over goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen and into the net.
In the 83rd minute, Alexandru Maxim and Bogdan Stanku exchanged quick passes and Maxim beat Nielsen to cap the scoring.
Photo: Reuters
Greece finally ended their miserable run when substitute Panagiotis Kone headed in the winner in the 86th minute.
Coach Costas Tsanas made six changes to the starting lineup from the squad that lost 3-1 to Northern Ireland three days previously and it seemed to quickly pay off when Costas Stafylidis opened the scoring in the fifth minute. It was Greece’s first home goal in the qualifiers.
However, Hungary soon took over and equalized in the 26th minute with a header by Gergo Lovrencsics, before Krisztian Nemeth put Hungary ahead from point-blank range in the 55th.
Two minutes later, Panayiotis Tachtsidis met Petros Mantalos’ forward pass and blasted a shot from just inside the penalty area into the Hungary net.
In the 76th minute, Hungary took the lead again. Zsolt Kalmar, who had entered the game five minutes earlier, avoided two Greece defenders and as two more closed in passed to an unmarked Nemeth for an easy goal.
Three minutes later, Tachtsidis made a defense-splitting pass to Costas Mitroglou who made it 3-3, before Kone scored the winner from Jose Holebas’ cross.
“Definitely a bittersweet victory,” Tsanas said.
Hungary finished third in the group and will have another chance to reach the Euro 2016 finals through a playoff.
“We had always planned for a third-placed finish... Greece were unlucky not to have scored in previous games,” Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly said.
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