Bookmaker to refund NI v Switzerland World Cup bets after ref admits penalty decision error

Ovidiu Hategan controversially pointed to the spot in the first leg of November's play-off, despite the ball clearly hitting midfielder Corry Evans on the back of his shoulder.

The Romanian has admitted his error – prompting Paddy Power to refund all single bets on Michael O’Neill’s men qualifying for the World Cup, amounting to thousands of pounds in stakes.

“The referee’s admission is refreshing but, ultimately, doesn’t make much difference to disappointed fans," a Paddy Power spokesperson said.

“We decided to give the punters some justice, too, by refunding those who backed Northern Ireland to qualify for Russia.”