During the first half of Ireland's 1-1 draw in Zenica on Friday night, Jim Beglin made appears his approval of the performance of Felix Brych, noting that Ireland were getting what was going in the first half.
A disappointed Edin Dzeko said that last night's referee Bjorn Kuipers also did Ireland no harm. According to the Bosnian star man, the referee was 70-30 in favour of Ireland.
The dodgy penalty is a particular gripe.
We can’t win a game where we don’t play. In the end we did well, although the referee was 70-30 in favour of the Irish. I would never in my life give the penalty they gave against us.
There’s nobody to blame, we’re all in this together.
Dzeko is inclined to rue the failure to establish a lead on Friday night, a failing which left them vulnerable heading into the second leg.
We had to be more efficient at home because we knew it would be difficult here. The Irish played aggressively, it was difficult. The penalty didn’t exist, but there you go.
It marks quite a turn around from the 1970s and 1980s, when Ireland were on the rough end of dodgy decisions by home town refs in far flung locations. Remember the infamous World Cup campaign of 1982.
Read more: How The Greatest Irish Team Never To Qualify Were Robbed
