đź”— Share this article Stoppage-Time Goal from Neves Sinks Ireland After CaoimhĂn Kelleher Stops Ronaldo Spot-Kick The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for Portugal with a last-gasp decisive strike in their World Cup encounter against Ireland, following the Irish goalkeeper had saved a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo. Game Overview Neves found the net during stoppage time to claim a narrow victory, several seasons after the star striker had bagged a brace at the death to defeat a resilient Ireland team. The Irish squad looked set to leave Lisbon with a hard-fought draw, but ultimately left empty-handed, despite restoring a good deal of pride with a battling display that overshadowed some of the recollections of last month’s embarrassing loss in Armenia. Nevertheless, the defeat puts them facing elimination, with their initial trio of qualifying group matches having produced only a solitary draw. They must beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to keep alive any chance of securing a playoff place. Major Moments Kelleher looked to have earned Ireland a draw when he superbly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had hit an Irish defender’s arm. Neves saved Portugal in the first minute of added time when he directed TrincĂŁo’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper. Additional Group Outcomes Portugal’s Group Hungary enhanced their chances of advancing by securing their initial victory with a 2-0 victory over Armenia, climbing above their opponents into second place behind Portugal in the standings. Daniel Lukacs provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and a teammate made sure of the victory in second-half added time. Group K The Serbian national team slipped to a narrow loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the outcome meaning England can now seal their passage from Group K by beating Latvia on Tuesday. An Albanian striker netted the only goal for his team with a well-taken shot in first-half stoppage time. The Latvian side struggles in their group persisted as they were forced to a two-all tie at home by Andorra. Ian Olivera scored for the visitors 12 minutes from time to earn them their first point of the qualifying campaign and extend Latvia’s winless run to five games. Group E Spain continued their dominant Group E campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from JĂ©remy Pino and his teammate in Elche. The win continued the European champions’ flawless record in the qualifiers, having notched eleven strikes in three matches without letting in a goal. In spite of the absence of players such as a talented winger, another forward, and the midfield anchor due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that spent most of the match sitting back. The home side dominated the encounter with over eighty percent of the ball, and the visitors did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout. Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute from a well-executed dead-ball routine, and his compatriot wrapped up the victory in the 64th minute with a spectacular free kick after Mamardashvili had saved a Spanish player’s spot-kick. Other Scores The Turkish national team returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over the Bulgarian side to stay close to the group leaders in their section. Real Madrid’s a young talent was among the goal-getters. Italy improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a comfortable win away to Estonia, thanks to goals from a forward, Mateo Retegui, and a third scorer. The Italian coach said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We are aware of our responsibilities.” The Azzurri failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, twice falling short in the playoffs, and the dreaded playoff path now looks their primary opportunity after the Norwegian team’s 5-0 win over the Israeli side in Group I. Norway are leading on 18 points from six matches. The Italians have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are a trio of points ahead of Israel. Estonia stay in fourth place on three points. The group winners advance automatically for the tournament, with the second-placed sides going into the playoffs. Italy face Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would secure second spot and, while they can still theoretically overtake the group leaders on points, the leaders’ much better goal ratio means a qualifying place probably beckons for the Italian squad.