Northern Ireland out as McAuley own goal fires Wales into last 8

Gareth McAuley prodded Gareth Bale's cross into his own net to send Northern Ireland to the Charles de Gaulle Airport departure lounge, and see Wales progress into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.

The West Bromwich Albion veteran was a goal-scoring hero in his country's 2-0 defeat of Ukraine in the group stage, but was forced to act when Bale squared a ball that would've met Hal Robson-Kanu in front of an open goal if it wasn't for McAuley's last-ditch efforts.

In its first major tournament in 58 years, Wales managed to top a group comprising of neighbour England, Slovakia, and Russia, and will now advance to the quarter-finals to take on either Hungary or Belgium at Lille's Stade Pierre-Mauroy next Friday.

Northern Ireland will feel aggrieved, however, after making a good account of itself in the opening stanza against a Wales team that looked vastly different than it did five days earlier when it decimated Russia 3-0.

Aaron Hughes, 18 years removed from his international debut, was charged with keeping Gareth Bale quiet in his 103rd cap. An unenviable task, but he and his defensive colleagues' back-pocketing of the Real Madrid star prompted those donning green at the Parc des Princes to dub Bale an inadequate Keith Gillespie - a homage to the 86-time Norn Iron representative who hung up his boots in 2013 following a stint in the Irish second tier.

The best chance for Wales to go ahead looked to be from a set piece, and Bale won a free-kick on 57 minutes, but it was excellently thwarted by the tournament's standout goalkeeper so far, Michael McGovern. The Hamilton Academical man's agent may have a few clubs on the line now that his summer international commitments are over.

It was an affair between two teams largely populated with players plying their trades below England's top tier, and it continued to show in a scrappy, stuttering match.

Fitting, then, was the game's winner. The introduction of Jonny Williams for Wales added some spark and creativity in the middle of the pitch, and he began the move that went via Aaron Ramsey to Bale on the left. Unfortunately for a player who's been such a stalwart for his country, McAuley saw the crossed ball bounce off his foot and past a helpless McGovern.

It's wasn't an ideal way to end a tournament for Northern Ireland supporters, with a significant number of decibels now leaving the Euro 2016 stands. At least they introduced us to the anthem of the tournament: a tribute to Will Grigg, who didn't manage a minute in France.

Wales is the first representative to make the last eight from the British Isles, however, and with a return to the form shown against Russia it could go even deeper in the competition.

Ireland and England, it's your turn.