A chaotic World Cup qualifier saw the hosts come back from 1-0 down but Helder Postiga's red card was countered by Chris Brunt's and Kyle Lafferty's in the second half
Northern Ireland were defeated 4-2 by Portugal in a chaotic World Cup 2014 qualifier that saw six goals - three of them for Cristiano Ronaldo - and three red cards.
Bruno Alves gave the visitors the lead after 20 minutes but, either side of half-time, Gareth McAuley and Jamie Ward turned things around as Michael O'Neill's side chased another unexpected result, buoyed by Helder Postiga's red card just before the break. Ward's goal, however, should have been ruled out for offside.
The favourites roared back, however, with Portugal captain Ronaldo netting a 15-minute hat-trick in the second half following a second yellow card being issued to Chris Brunt.
Portugal having sped ahead, Northern Ireland were forced out and Kyle Lafferty compounded their misery with a wild lunge that saw him become the third man sent off in the latter stages.
More to follow...
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