Ireland and Austria Draw 2-2 as Protesters Interrupt Match with Tennis Balls

Troy Parrott scored twice before Austria rallied for a 2-2 draw in a match briefly halted by tennis ball protests.

Republic of Ireland played to a 2-2 draw against Austria on Thursday after Troy Parrott scored in the 12th and 38th minutes. Parrott opened the scoring with an individual effort through a defender's legs and doubled the lead with a penalty that struck the right post. Austria secured the draw in the second half behind goals from Alexander Prass and Michael Gregoritsch.

Referee Allard Lindhout halted play for four minutes in the 19th minute after protesters threw tennis balls bearing Palestinian flags onto the field. The "Stop the Game" initiative claimed responsibility for the demonstration, which occurred while Ireland led 1-0. A second brief stoppage took place when security tackled a protester carrying a Palestine flag who entered the pitch.

The demonstrations were organized by groups including the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign to call for a boycott of Sunday's Nations League match against Israel. That fixture is scheduled to be played without fans in Backa Topola, Serbia. The Football Association of Ireland previously moved the game to a neutral venue for operational reasons following a November motion asking UEFA to ban Israel from competition.

Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from both matches against Israel, though he returned to the squad for the Austria visit. According to ESPN, Ireland players previously voted 14-8 in favor of playing the Israel fixtures. The team enters the Sunday match following a 3-0 victory over Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, last Sunday.