Iceland 3 - 2 Finland: Iceland maintain feelgood factor with stunning late win - 7M sport

Iceland 3 - 2 Finland: Iceland maintain feelgood factor with stunning late win



Posted Friday, October 07, 2016 by PA

Iceland scored two stoppage-time headers to seal a remarkable World Cup qualifying victory over Finland in Reykjavik on Thursday night.

Ragnar Sigurdsson's 95th-minute effort saw the hosts claim a 3-2 win after Alfred Finnbogason had drawn them level just moments earlier.

Finland had led twice in the contest as Teemu Pukki headed them in front and, Robin Lod scored the only goal of the five on the night which was not a header, to cancel out Kari Arnason's equaliser, with Gylfi Sigurdsson missing a penalty for the hosts.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson flashed an early shot wide before Alexander Ring had Finland's first decent chance of the night as he fired straight at Ogmundur Kristinsson in the Iceland goal.

But the visitors were ahead just before the midway point of the first half as Pukki headed home Kari Arkivuo's cross from the middle of the goal.

Iceland showed during the European Championship that they can fight back from behind and they levelled through Arnason, with the Malmo man nodding in Gudmundsson's corner.

Finland regained their lead just two minutes later as Lod converted from outside the box with a well-taken finish.

Ragnar Sigurdsson saw a header well saved by Lukas Hradecky while Arnason also forced a save out of the Eintracht Frankfurt stopper before the interval.

Iceland were presented with a great chance to draw level when Aron Gunnarsson was brought down in the box by Sauli Vaisanen five minutes after the restart but Gylfi Sigurddson could only smack the resulting penalty off the crossbar.

There was another near-miss from the Swansea midfielder when he hit the post seven minutes later before he brought another stop out of Hradecky.

Gudmundsson, Gunnarsson and Birkir Bjarnason all came close for Iceland but it appeared their luck was out, until the clock ticked onto 90 minutes.

Gylfi Sigurdsson swung over a corner which was turned in off the head of Finnbogason from close-range as the hosts drew level with moments to spare.

But there was still time for them to complete an incredible victory as Fulham's Ragnar Sigurddson, who scored the equalising goal in the Euro 2016 victory over England, headed home a winner five minutes into added time.



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