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Former Northern Ireland and QPR captain Alan McDonald has died at the age of 48.

McDonald collapsed suddenly while he was playing golf at the Temple Golf Club near Lisburn on Saturday morning.

The QPR stalwart won 52 caps for his country and was a member of Northern Ireland's World Cup side in 1986.

McDonald went on to manage Glentoran, winning the Irish League title in 2009, and also coached his country's under-21 side.

An Irish Football Association spokesman told Press Association Sport: "We are deeply shocked at the death of Alan, who won over 50 caps for Northern Ireland. To die at such a young age is terrible."

Former Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy, a close friend and former team-mate of McDonald's, said: "I'm shell-shocked. Words can't even enter my head at the moment.

"Forty-eight is so young. Alan was always larger than life - during his career and after. I've just spoken to Norman Whiteside and he is devastated."

Goals from Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli sent Italy into the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 with a 2-0 win against Republic of Ireland at Stadion Miejski in Poznan.

Cassano headed home from an Andrea Pirlo corner on 35 minutes, before Balotelli volleyed a brilliant second on 90 minutes.

The Azzurri qualified second from Group C after Spain beat Croatia 1-0 in the other Group C match. There was a nervous wait at the end as the final seconds ticked down in Gdansk, where a Croatian equaliser would have sent Italy home.

Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland produced their best performance of the tournament, but were still well beaten and exit the tournament with three defeats from as many games. Keith Andrews was sent off late on, picking up a second yellow card for dissent.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli made a radical tactical shift, abandoning his three-man defence and reverting to a more familiar back four - thereby returning Daniele De Rossi to his preferred midfield station.

Balotelli, still nursing a minor ankle injury, was left on the bench and his replacement Antonio Di Natale had a fine game, linking instinctively with Cassano and looking a constant goal threat.

Trapattoni made a single change, restoring Kevin Doyle at Simon Cox's expense, while making Damien Duff captain to mark his 100th cap.

Despite enduring a miserable tournament on the pitch, the Irish fans were in terrific voice, belting out both nations' anthems and frequently indulging in a geographically accurate version of 'the Poznan'.

And early on, the boys in green fared showed signs of the fine form that saw them qualify in the first place.

Doyle seized on an errant Andrea Pirlo pass and nearly got a shot away, while the Italian box was bombarded with balls in from the flanks.

But Italy established a foothold and became increasingly dominant as the first half progressed.

Cassano crossed low for Di Natale whose low shot was charged down by Richard Dunne, before Sean St Ledger's block of a Di Natale shot brought fervent - though unsuccessful - penalty appeals.

Italy won a cheap corner after Shay Given spilled a Cassano shot, and the Azzurri duly took the lead. Cassano glanced Pirlo's delivery goalwards, Given made half a save and Duff hooked it away from his position on the far post.

However, the officials rightly adjudged the ball to have crossed the line.

That goal moved Italy provisionally top of the group, but they knew events in the other Group C match in Gdansk could take matters out of their hands.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, as Cassano and Di Natale were denied by some heroic Irish blocks. Di Natale went off on 75 minutes having racked up seven shots, six on target.

Italy suffered a potentially crucial injury when their best defender Giorgio Chiellini went down just before the hour mark - the Italians' body language suggested the Juventus man will not play again in this tournament.

Ireland threatened to break Italian hearts as the second half went on and the Azzurri became nervous. Countless set piece chances came and went, while Andrews tested Gianluigi Buffon with a long shot.

It took the substitute Balotelli to put the result beyond doubt. He met a corner from the Italian right with a sweetly-struck volley on the turn, and Given had no chance.

Balotelli dusted off his customary no-celebration celebration, and Leandro Bonucci put his hand over the striker's mouth as he unleashed a tirade of abuse at someone or something.

As news of the Croatian defeat came through, Italian celebrations began in earnest and they can look forward to a last-eight tie against the winners of Group D - France, England or Ukraine.

Fernando Torres helped bury the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2012 campaign with two delicious goals as world champions Spain coasted to a 4-0 win in Gdansk.

Spain recorded their biggest win at the European Championship finals with some ease as Ireland followed up their 3-1 loss to Croatia in Group C on Sunday by shipping four more goals against the world and European champions, who were hardly made to work for their haul at the Polish city's PGE Arena.

The defensive success that had helped Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland reach their first major tournament since the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea collapsed all around them amid a series of wretched mistakes on a saturated night that was damp for the Irish players, supporters and coaching team in more ways than one.

Spain were their usual menacing self, but there is little doubt that Ireland contributed to their own downfall with a lack of organisation all too obvious at key moments.

Torres (4,70), David Silva (49) and Torres's late replacement Cesc Fabregas (82) consigned Ireland to their heaviest defeat at a major tournament. In truth, it could have been much, much worse for an Irish side who will probably reflect on their efforts at this tournament with a real sense of regret. They lost seven goals in 10 matches in qualifying before losing seven in two outings at the finals. It is hardly heroic stuff.

Spain are not yet through to the last eight despite drubbing the Irish. Vicente del Bosque's team will qualify for the quarter-finals if they beat Group C rivals Croatia on Monday with Ireland concluding their campaign against Italy on the same night before they fly home.

Chelsea forward Torres looked a different figure from the hesitant striker who missed a couple of chances as a substitute in the 1-1 draw with Italy on Sunday as he careered into the box before thumping an effort through Irish goalkeeper Shay Given, who should perhaps have the made the stop despite the energy of the strike.

With Richard Dunne kicking fresh air while Torres applied the finish for his first competitive goal since September 2010, it left Ireland firmly on the back foot only days after they haemorrhaged an early goal in falling behind to Croatia on only three minutes.

Ireland were almost like football's equivalent of a punching-bag as Given made saves from Silva, Andres Iniesta and the energetic Alvaro Arbeloa with Torres knocking an effort wide.

To illustrate the gulf in class, Xavi and Xabi Alonso had completed more passes by half-time than the Irish team, who staggered to the sanctuary of the dressing room having put together only 104 in the first half.

Spain simply had to find a second goal given their ball retention and it arrived moments after half-time when Given could only palm an Iniesta effort straight to Silva, who slipped the shot through three Irish players and Given to hand Spain a 2-0 lead.

It was horrid defending at any level, but Ireland's night got worse when Aiden McGeady lost possession to Silva who sent Torres bounding clear. He waited for Given to make his move before planting the ball into the net for a 3-0 lead.

Torres has now scored 30 goals for Spain. Only Raul (44) and David Villa (51) have scored more goals for their country.

While the Irish fans continued to sing, Spain continued to pass. Ireland were a bedraggled-looking lot when they seemed to fall asleep for the fourth goal from a short corner.

Fabregas was unforgivably left unmarked in the Irish area moments after replacing Torres and he walloped a fierce shot between Keith Andrews and Given to finish off the Irish in every sense.

Ireland managed to exercise Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas a couple of times. Simon Cox saw a shot saved in the opening minutes while Keane forced Casillas to halt an effort in the second period, but Ireland rarely tested an opposing side who basked in over 70 per cent of possession.

Indeed, the imperious Xavi set a European Championship passing record by putting together 136 on the night. The previous best recorded at the European Championships was 117 by Ronald Koeman against Denmark in 1992.

The travelling band of Irish followers deserve great credit for their fanatical support in the Polish drizzle. It is just a pity their players could not match such levels on the park. Conceding seven goals in two games means they are the first team to be ousted from these finals.

Republic of Ireland face an uphill battle to reach the Euro 2012 quarter-finals after being outclassed 3-1 by Croatia in their Group C opener at the Stadion Miejski in Poznan.

Goals from Mario Mandzukic (3), Nikica Jelavic (43) and an unfortunate Shay Given own goal (48) completed a comfortable win for Slaven Bilic's side, who were easy on the eye for much of the night as they dominated possession. They could probably have won by more against an Irish side who lacked the necessary technique to live with their opponents.

Sean St Ledger headed an equaliser for Ireland on 19 minutes, but their performance lacked any real momentum throughout a sodden night in Poznan with basic defensive mistakes contributing to their downfall despite some wonderful support from their vociferous band of travelling fans.

Giovanni Trapattoni's team must avoid defeat against world and European champions Spain - who drew 1-1 with Italy earlier in the day - on Thursday night if they are to avoid elimination at the group stage.

On this evidence, their final match of the section against Italy on June 18 is likely to be their last game of the tournament.

Ireland had more fans than Croatia among the 43,200 crowd for their first match at the finals of a major tournament since the World Cup in 2002.

There was an air of expectancy for their first match at the European Championship since defeat to the Netherlands in 1988, but the Republic could not have made a poorer start as some sluggish defending was penalised by Mandzukic.

The bright Wolfsburg forward nodded into the net from 12 yards out with Aston Villa goalkeeper Given failing to get back across his line to prevent the ball from spinning beyond him.

It put a dampener on a saturated evening, but there would be brief joy as the Irish equalised with their first real chance of the evening as St Ledger rose deep in the opposition box to plant a header into the net from Aiden McGeady's free-kick.

No team had scored more goals from set-pieces in qualifying than Ireland, but it became painfully obvious the longer the night staggered on that there would be no other way to unsettle the slicker team in blue as Ireland seemed to be left marooned deep in their own half.

Croatia won all three group games at Euro 2008 and have made the quarter-finals in two of their previous three appearances at the Championships. Unlike Ireland, they have a pedigree at such blue-chip events, and a world-class playmaker in Luka Modric, who revelled in picking holes in the Irish defence with his speed of thought.

With opportunities obviously going to be at a premium in open play, Ireland needed to be diligent in defence, but were undone by more self-harm when Stephen Ward panicked in trying to clear a loose ball in his box.

The sliced clearance broke kindly to Jelavic, a figure who scored 11 goals in 16 Premier League matches since leaving Rangers for Everton in January. He produced a deft chip to lift the ball over Given as Croatia headed for half-time leading 2-1.

That became 3-1 when the excellent Mandzukic headed goalwards from Ivan Perisic's cross. The ball hit a post before rebounding back off the diving Given's head to drop into the corner of the net. So much for the luck of the Irish.

Ireland had conceded three goals for the first time at a tournament finals. Despite never lacking their typical smattering of spirit, it was difficult to believe they were not already done for.

Robbie Keane appealed in vain for a penalty when he was tackled from behind on the edge of the box by Gordon Schildenfeld, who was fortunate not to present Ireland with a way back into the match on 62 minutes.

Ivan Rakitic almost added a fourth goal for Croatia on 76 minutes when he curled an effort wide while Keith Andrews headed wide from Damien Duff's corner in five minutes of time added on, but the scoreline hardly flattered Croatia who roll on to a match with Italy in their second Group C outing.

Ireland fans were left to console themselves by doing the Poznan in Poznan.