Hungary 2 Norway 1

Hungary booked a return to major tournament football for the first time in 30 years with a 3-1 aggregate victory over Norway in their Euro 2016 qualifying play-off.

Leading through debutant Laszlo Kleinheisler’s first-leg goal, Tamas Priskin struck early in the first half before Norway’s Markus Henriksen scored at both ends late on in the hosts’ 2-1 win on the night.

Only five of their squad were even born when Hungry played at the 1986 Mexico World Cup and, of those, only veteran goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly was in the starting line-up on this occasion.

But, if history in the making was there for the home side, it provided an ominous omen for the Scandinavians as no team had ever progressed after losing the first leg of a play-off at home.

Ominous omen

Missed chances in first leg cost them and they came up short in front of goal in Budapest also, although Kiraly’s goal hardly came under huge pressure. But what really cost them was conceding the all-important second goal in the tie in the 14th minute.

For all of Hungary’s historic footballing pedigree it came via a route-one ball out of defence aimed at Priskin in the inside-left channel.

The clearance appeared to catch Norway half asleep and the Slovan Bratislava and former Watford striker cut inside Even Hovland and the back-tracking Vegard Forren to fire right-footed into the far top corner for his 17th goal in 54 matches for his country.

Now with a two-goal cushion Hungary’s anxiety eased, but Kiraly still had to be alert to save from Haitam Aleesami after Mohamed Elyounoussi had mis-kicked in front of goal.

Richard Guzmis forced Henriksen to turn a corner into his own net seven minutes from time and, although the forward then scored at the correct end moments later, it could not retrieve the situation.