HUNGARY HIT BY SIEGE OF TROY

Hat-trick hero's last-gasp winner seals play-off spot

- BY MARK McCADDEN

TROY PARROTT'S big toe has sent Ireland to next March's World Cup play offs.

The AZ Alkmaar striker's hat-trick in Budapest yesterday — after his double against Portugal on Thursday — will rank as one of the all-time great weeks for an Irish footballer.

Ireland have just picked up back-to-back wins against a pair of higher-ranked teams. Astonishing.

Who would have thought, in those dark moments after the defeat in Yerevan, when even Heimir Hallgrímsson struggled to see the light at the end of the tunnel, that their Group F campaign would end like this?

It looked like another chapter would be written in the book of glorious Irish failures.

Until Parrott etched his name into the history books with a hat-trick for the ages — an ice-cold penalty, a beautiful chip and a poacher’s special.

The chance, it seemed, had passed, when Hungary goalkeeper Denes Dibusz made an outstanding 90th-minute save to deny Johnny Kenny a debut winning goal.

The Celtic man did every thing right with his angled shot, but it clipped Dibusz's armpit, bounced down and was hacked clear.

But Ireland continued to press deep into injury-time and had one last opportunity when Caoimhin Kelleher on halfway, the only player outside the Hungarian defensive third, launched the ball towards the box.

Liam Scales flicked it on and Parrott stretched out his right boot to poke the ball beyond Dibusz.

Between the flick and the finish on the stretch, there were shades of Niall Quinn to Robbie Keane against Germany during Ireland’s last World Cup appearance.