There was no fourth goal of Euro 2016 for Bale, but his contribution for the game's only score " a Northern Ireland own-goal " was invaluable. For much of Saturday's game, Northern Ireland successfully nullified Bale. The forward whipped in a cross in the 75th minute that was aimed at teammate Hal Robson-Kanu, but it was inadvertently turned into the net by Northern Ireland defender Gareth McAuley. It was a game Bale branded "ugly," and few of the fans in the French capital or watching around the world would disagree. "It's devastating really," Northern Ireland coach Michael O'Neill said.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 25, 2016 18:11 UTC