Ireland and Austria draw in game briefly halted by protesters

Ireland drew 2-2 with Austria in the Nations League on Thursday in a game disrupted after tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch at the Aviva Stadium by those protesting against the Irish team fulfilling their fixtures against Israel.

Ireland were 1-0 up in front of a sell-out crowd when the referee suspended the match briefly in the 20th minute as a small number of tennis balls featuring the Palestinian flag were thrown onto the pitch from behind both goals.

The players were sent for a cooling break, and play resumed just over two minutes later. A man draped in a Palestinian flag attempted to enter the pitch later in the first half, before being led away by security.

Ireland are one of Europe's most outspoken critics of Israel's war in Gaza, and protests calling for the team to boycott the fixtures with Israel have been ongoing since February's Nations League draw pitted the two countries together.

Ireland keeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad on the eve of Sunday's 3-0 away win over Israel, played in Hungary, which went ahead after the players held two votes on Saturday, with a majority opting to fulfil the fixture.

The rest of the game passed away without further incident, and the 'Stop the Game' campaign issued a statement at halftime.

"The protest is now over," the statement said.

"It was a token act, deliberately limited, but necessary and done in solidarity with Gavin Bazunu and the people of Palestine facing genocide."

Troy Parrott put Ireland ahead in the 12th minute with a delightful goal, weaving and nutmegging his way past three Austrian defenders and into the area before striking low into the far corner.

Parrott doubled Ireland's lead from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime, but the hosts let their two-goal lead slip after the break with substitutes Alexander Prass and Michael Gregoritsch netting for Austria.

Bazunu was on the bench for Thursday's game but will not take part in the home game against Israel, scheduled for next Sunday, which was moved by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to Serbia and will be played behind closed doors in Backa Topola.

FAI members voted in November for its board to request that UEFA suspend Israel from European competitions, but a motion to proceed with the fixtures passed at a meeting in July.

During Ireland's friendly with Qatar in May at the Aviva Stadium, the match was halted twice during the first half for a similar protest.