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Man of the Match Maik Taylor

last updated Sunday 07th October 2001, 12:19 AM
Man of the Match Maik Taylor
Man of the Match Maik Taylor
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Fulham's Maik Taylor was Man of the Match for Northern Ireland on Saturday.

The Ulstermen were playing the last game in their World Cup campaign and ended on a relative high finishing fifth in Group Three with 11 points. The 1-0 win over Malta being their first competitive away win in six years.

Northern Ireland opened positively going close with a half chance when winger Stuart Elliott hit a shot which was blocked. Then the raveling Irish fans nearly had a goal to celebrate after 15 minutes when Kevin Horlock drove a free-kick from 35 yards out just over Mario Muscat's crossbar.

However after this positive opening, the Irish faded and Malta took charge. In fact the minnows of world football even had the audacity to seize the initiative from Northern Ireland.

Keeper Maik Taylor pulled off a number of saves ensuring that the Northern Irish kept a clean sheet and avoided the embarrassment of a defeat by Malta.

During the game, amid farcical scenes that were more reminiscent of a Monty Python sketch than a football match, Northern Ireland coaches Sammy McIlroy and Jimmy Harvey were sent off. The pair have probably made footballing history by becoming the first managerial double act to be banished from the touchline. McIlroy was the first to go and the Irish manager was given his marching orders by Austrian referee Manfred Schuttengruber for throwing the ball at Malta striker Michael Mifsud. Harvey followed soon after for apparently persistently encroaching outside his technical area.

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