Play-Offs: The nightmare scenario

Spain - 1, Rep of Ireland - 0

November 10th, 1965, Paris

The game was steeped in controversy even before it began with the FAI allowing the match to be played in Paris rather than London. The upshot was that of the 36,000 people in the Parc des Princes on the day, some 30,000 were Spanish. The game was a scrappy enough affair, with the Irish going close early on through Andy McEvoy whose shot beat the goalkeeper but deflected wide off a defender. From then on, though, the Spanish took control and the Irish found themselves defending deep inside their half for long stretches. Suarez, the only one of the Spaniards to play outside the country (he was with Inter Milan at the time) failed to make contact with a cross, the Irish defence failed to react to the loose ball and, after it took an unlucky bounce off Noel Cantwell, Ufarte stepped up to stick it away from close range.

P Dunne (Manchester United), A Dunne (Manchester United), Brennan (Manchester United), Foley (Northampton), Cantwell (Manchester United), Meagan (Huddersfield), O'Neill (Shamrock Rovers), Dunphy (York City), McEvoy (Blackburn Rovers), Giles (Leeds Utd), Haverty (Shelbourne).

Holland - 2, Rep of Ireland - 0

December 13th, 1995, Liverpool

Playing the game in Anfield was supposed to mean the next best thing to home advantage for the Irish, but it turned out that the Dutch looked pretty much at ease. After Patrick Kluivert gave them the lead in the 30th minute it was really only a question of how many they would win by.

With only a couple of minutes of injury-time remaining, Kluivert struck again to make it 2-0, but in between the Dutch had hit the woodwork twice and forced a string of good saves from Alan Kelly. The defeat meant the end of Jack Charlton's reign as Irish manager.

A Kelly (Sheffield Utd), G Kelly (Leeds), McGrath (Aston Villa), Babb (Liverpool), Irwin (Manchester United), Kenna (Blackburn), Sheridan (Sheffield Wednesday), Townsend (Aston Villa), Phelan (Chelsea), Aldridge (Tranmere), Cascarino (Nancy). Subs: McAteer (Bolton Wanderers) for Townsend (50 mins), Kernaghan (Manchester City) for Aldridge (72 mins).

Rep of Ireland - 1, Belgium - 1

October 29th, 1997, Dublin

As with this week, the received wisdom was that the Republic of Ireland needed to make the most of their home advantage in the first leg of the play-offs if they were to have any serious hope of qualification, but they never really got to grips with the task at Lansdowne Road.

Denis Irwin was involved in both goals, at one end curling a 25-yard free-kick neatly into the corner, while at the other end failing to clear Nico van Kerkckhoven's cross beyond the lurking Luc Nilis and then not quite managing to prevent the striker firing home. .

Home: Given (Newcastle), G Kelly (Leeds), Irwin (Manchester Utd), Harte (Leeds United), Cunningham (Wimbledon),Staunton (Liverpool), Townsend (Aston Villa), [B O]Houghton (Reading), Connolly (Feyenoord), Cascarino (Nancy), Kennedy (Liverpool). Subs: Carsley (Derby County) for Townsend (75 mins), Coyne (Motherwell) for Connolly (82 mins), Kenna (Blackburn) for Kennedy (33 mins).

Belgium - 2, Rep of Ireland - 1

November 15th, 1997, Brussels

Luis Oliveira gave the Belgians the lead after 24 minutes and it wasn't until Ray Houghton came into the proceedings early in the second period that the Irish really looked like fighting their way back into the game. When the midfielder produced a looping header from eight yards to equalise with just over half an hour remaining, a place at France '98 looked to be there for the taking. But it didn't quite go Ireland's way.

A disputed throw-in down Irish flank started the move by the home side which restored their lead, with Nilis eventually finding the net. A miserable night for Mick McCarthy was wrapped up shortly afterwards when David Connolly kicked Gert Verheyen and was promptly sent off.

Away: Given (Newcastle), Kenna (Blackburn), Cunningham (Wimbledon), Harte (Leeds), Staunton (Villa), Kelly (Leeds), Carsley (Derby), McLoughlin (Portsmouth), Townsend (Middlesbrough), Kennedy (Liverpool, Cascarino (Nancy). Subs: Houghton (Reading) for McLoughlin (49 mins), Connolly (Feyenoord) for Kennedy (75 mins), D Kelly (Tranmere) for Townsend (87 mins).