THIS TIME tomorrow, the Republic of Ireland will be locked in a battle with France in the last 16 of Euro 2016 at the Stade de Lyon.
Seamus Coleman could again captain Ireland following his heroics in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Italy in Lille, but 26 years ago this afternoon a Donegal man produced one of Irish football’s most iconic pictures.
On June 25 1990, at the Stadio Luigi Ferrais in Genoa, Packie Bonner saved a penalty from Romania’s Daniel Timofte in a penalty shoot-out after the last 16 game at Italia ’90 finished scoreless.
Bonner’s save was the cue for that immortal line from George Hamilton as David O’Leary stepped forth: “The nation holds its breath…”
Tony Cascarino, Andy Townsend, Ray Houghton and Kevin Sheedy had all hit the net for Ireland while Gheorhie Hagi, Danut Lupu, Iosif Rotario and Ioan Lupescu scored for Romania before Timofte was denied by Bonner.
Arsenal defender O’Leary went up and Jack Charlton went back on the cigarettes.
“I just sat there and started to smoke again. I hadn’t smoked for two years.
[adrotate group=”37″]“I was looking at it up there and a guy was smoking a cigarette and I said ‘Mate, give us a cig’.
O’Leary slammed past Romania ‘keeper Silviu Lung and Ireland were on their way to the quarter-finals.
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