Football
ESPN staff 8y

Michael O'Neill: Northern Ireland 'were the better team' in loss to Wales

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill said he thought his side played better than Wales despite losing 1-0 in the Euro 2016 round of 16 on Saturday.

A 75th-minute Gareth McAuley own goal following Gareth Bale's dangerous cross was all that separated the sides.

Wales advance to the quarterfinals, but it was the end of the road for O'Neill's men, and he said the manner of the defeat was hard to accept.

"It's devastating," he said. "We were the better team on the day.... the nature of that goal...

"I couldn't ask anything more of the players throughout the tournament.

"Gareth McAuley knows he has to make one of those decisions on the cross -- he had to judge whether there was someone behind him or not."

Northern Ireland captain Steven Davis also refused to blame McAuley for the defeat.

"In the first half we definitely had the better chances although eventually you have to take one of them," he said. "Big G doesn't deserve this because he's been excellent.

"We'll take a lot from this experience. The fans have enjoyed the journey as much as us and everyone's sad to see it end today."

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