Ireland let two-goal lead slip to Austria amid Palestine protests in Dublin

The Republic of Ireland threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Austria in a UEFA Nations League B fixture at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 1 October 2026. Troy Parrott scored twice, finishing a mazy run in the 12th minute and converting a penalty on the stroke of half-time after Ryan Manning was fouled. Austria responded through Alexander Prass in the 71st minute, with the goal awarded after a VAR review for offside, and Michael Gregoritsch's 77th-minute free-kick levelled the game. The match was interrupted twice in the first half when tennis balls wrapped in Palestinian flags were thrown onto the pitch and a protester carrying a Palestine flag was removed by stewards, in protests linked to Ireland's recent fixture against Israel. The draw left Ireland third in Group B3, behind Austria and Kosovo at the midway point of the campaign.