Troy Parrott hits last-gasp hat-trick as Republic of Ireland pull off miracle win vs Hungary to seal World Cup play-off

Ireland’s World Cup dream is still alive after the mother, father, brother and sister of injury time winners from Troy Parrott.

He completed his hat-trick in the SIXTH minute of injury time to win a must-win game in Hungary that Ireland never led up until that moment.

As the Ireland bench rushed the field and Hungary’s players collapsed on the ground, there was disbelief in the stands at what had just happened.

The Magyars needed a draw to make the play-off instead of Ireland and looked well on the way as they twice took the lead in the first half through Daniel Lukacs and Barnabas Varga.

But Parrott scored a first half penalty and then equalised again after 80 minutes to set up a grand finale. And what a finale.

With the game ticking beyond the 95th minute, goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher pumped the ball into the box and Nathan Collins headed it down into the six-yard box.

And time then stood still as Parrott ghosted in to toe-poke the ball beyond Hungary goalkeeper Denes Dubusz and into the net.

It was an unbelievable finish to the game, but also to Ireland’s campaign that looked dead and buried after taking one point from the opening two games in September.

But two months on, Ireland went into the final group games against Portugal and Hungary knowing that the only certain way of making the play-offs was to win both games.

And they won both as Parrott – who only started because Evan Ferguson is injured – scored twice against Portugal and three times against the Magyars.

Now Ireland and boss Heimir Hallgrímsson can think ahead to March’s play-offs, where Ireland will have to win two one-off ties to be in North America.

Boss Heimir Hallgrímsson argued at the start of the campaign that he believed in this team because they do not know when they are beaten.

And having pulled off a Heimir manoeuvre that has Ireland still breathing, would you bet against them not reaching the World Cup?

It was a remarkable game because Hungary looked so comfortable for so long. They got a dream start, led at half-time and had given up few chances before Parrott’s late heroics.

Hungary led after 180 seconds when a third corner in quick succession paid off as Dominik Szoboszlai took it short and whipped in a cross for Daniel Lukacs to head home.

There was more than a hint of offside to it though a lengthy VAR check did not go Ireland’s way as Jayson Molumby’s foot played Lukacs on.

But having cursed VAR, Ireland were then thankful for VAR just ten minutes later when Spaniard Juan Martinez Munuera intervened.

It was a soft penalty – you would be going mad if given against you – but Chiedozie Ogbene gets credit for making sure that VAR had a look at it.

He raced through onto a ball over the top from Dara O’Shea and got a push in the back from Kerkez that knocked him off balance before Attila Szalia kicked him in the boot.

There was not a lot in it but enough for Ogbene to go down, and then stay down long enough for VAR to take a long look at it.

Nowadays, it was always going to be a penalty then and Parrott – who has missed two penalties recently for AZ Alkmaar – stepped up.

And he ignored the deafening jeers – so loud he had to look to the referee because he could not hear his whistle – to fire beyond Dibusz and just inside his left-hand post.

But Ireland were behind again on 36 minutes.

Barnabas Varga’s goal was a stunner as he smacked a bouncing ball beyond Kelleher’s reach from 20-yards with a sweet left-foot strike.

But that he had the time to control Kerkez’s ball on his chest and then shoot before Collins closed him down had Ireland defenders pointing and asking questions.

NO QUIT

Yet, once again, Ireland shook it off and were straight away creating half chances.

Parrott shot straight at Dibusz seconds later and Jake O’Brien should have done better than fire wide when picked out by a Finn Azaz cross in first half injury time.

It was O’Brien’s last action as Ryan Manning was introduced at half time as Ireland went in search of the two goals needed.

There was a half chance when Parrott turned on a Collins flick-on only for Szoboszlai to make a vital block.

But Ireland were also hampered when Ogbene was forced off with a hamstring injury with Adam Idah – who scored against the Magyars in Dublin – coming on.

He did put the ball in the net on 57 minutes but it was correctly ruled out for offside, and Hallgrímsson went for broke soon afterwards sending on Johnny Kenny and Festy Ebosele.

But as Ireland pressed forward, they took risks and as Scales had to block from Varga and Kelleher saved from Sallai as Hungary looked to put the result beyond doubt.

And with ten minutes to go, Parrott scored his second equaliser of the game.

It was a beautiful finish as Azaz’s defence splitting pass put him through and he coolly beat the advancing Dibusz with a shot off the outside of his right foot.

That set up a grand finale and there were moments.

O’Shea flung a cross across goal and Ebosele tried to turn on another ball in the box before Kenny forced Dibusz into a save from a tight angle.

But that was all just the build-up to Parrott’s magic moment.

Football. Bloody hell.

Hungary 2 (Lukacs 3, Varga 36

Ireland 3 (Parrott 15 pen, Parrott 80, 96)

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