Maverick Keane not ready to share in Quinn’s handball anguish

Nov 21 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

NIALL Quinn has described the Republic of Ireland’s controversial failure to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa as the biggest injustice he has ever witnessed in a sporting event.

That, though, was in sharp contrast to Sunderland’s former manager Roy Keane who insisted his national side had received their fair share of good luck during the qualification campaign and blamed the Irish defence for allowing Thierry Henry to get into a position where he was able to capitalise on his handball.

Quinn said: “I was at the first leg and I was disappointed because France were lucky on the night. We hoped it would be us who got the breaks in France but it wasn’t to be. People talk about Maradona’s Hand of God goal (against England in 1986), but I’d say that was the biggest injustice I’ve ever seen in sport. Maybe I feel it more because I’m Irish.

“All that I believe in and all that I love about sport was shattered when I saw something like that. It’s possibly the lowest I’ve felt at any sporting moment in my life.”