Portsmouth loanee Gavin Bazunu threatens to ruin Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking night - only to suffer late, late heartbreak
Then the greatest international goalscorer of them all swooped at the death to inspire Portugal to a remarkable victory.
Requiring a goal to take his Portugal tally to 110, Ronaldo was denied by a brilliant penalty stop by Bazunu in the 15th minute of tonight’s encounter with the Republic of Ireland.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBazunu, who is on loan at Fratton Park from Manchester City for the season, dived to his right to superbly tip the striker’s spot kick round the post.
When John Egan netted on the stroke of half-time to give Stephen Kenny’s side the lead, it appeared something special was happening in the World Cup qualifier.
However, Ronaldo inevitably rode to Portugal’s rescue.
He levelled with an 89th minute header – before snatching victory in six minutes of time added on with his second of the game.
That took him to a staggering 111 goals for his country and ensured a 2-1 triumph when it appeared they were headed for defeat.
A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe News has launched a subscription offer which gives you unlimited access to all of our Pompey coverage, starting at less than 14p a day.
You can subscribe here to get the latest news from Fratton Park - and to support our local team of expert Pompey writers.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.