London Olympics 2012: Team GB 1-1 Senegal: Brits party spoiled

Great Britain’s Olympic dreams suffered an unexpected setback at Old Trafford last night as Moussa Konate’s late equaliser for Senegal denied them victory.

Craig Bellamy had put the hosts in front with a clinical volley early in the contest.

But Stuart Pearce’s men were then pushed onto the back foot by the Africans’ ultra-physical approach, which largely went unpunished by Uzbek referee Ravshan Irmatov.

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Afterwards captain Ryan Giggs condemned the tackling that left Joe Allen, Neil Taylor and Craig Bellamy nursing injuries. Bellamy was on the wrong end of an atrocious tackle by Saliou Ciss on the edge of the penalty area, while Sadio Mane was a regular transgressor.

“All you want is a bit of protection,” said Giggs. “You don’t want anyone to get sent off but there were a few naughty challenges in there and a few of our lads are probably struggling for Sunday now.

“There was no consistency. Craig Bellamy got booked going in for a header and then there were some ridiculous challenges but you don’t even see a yellow card. I don’t know how many fouls the number 10 [Mane] had but in a Premier League game he’d probably have been sent off three times.”

But Senegal coach Aliou Cisse claimed his players had done nothing wrong.

“From where I was sitting there was nothing in that [the Bellamy tackle],” he said. “I know these boys very well and I know they would never do anything harsh. I am surprised at what people are saying, given this is Great Britain, where they talk so much about fighting spirit.

“I can’t say I saw a bad tackle on the pitch.”

When Bellamy became the first GB scorer at an Olympics since Northern Ireland’s Patrick Hasty in 1960, there were genuine celebrations, both amongst the fans and, more importantly, the players, who have had three weeks to work together.

There was some justification for Stuart Pearce that all three overage players were involved.

First Giggs sent over a cross from the right, for which Micah Richards challenged. It was 
Steven Caulker who got his head to it though, nodding it down for Bellamy, whose first-time 
finish flashed past Ousmane Mane and into the far corner.

Not that GB should have been in front for long.

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After spending the early part of his summer gaining experience as England’s
No 3 keeper at Euro 2012, this was Jack Butland’s chance to shine. The 19-year-old almost blew it though, directing a 
routine clearance straight to Sadio Mane, who chipped disappointingly wide.

The introduction of Bolton’s Sordell for Daniel Sturridge at half-time was a worry, although not as much as Ibrahima Ba’s shot that required a smart low save from Butland.

Zargo Toure thundered a shot over before Ciss brought another decent save out of Butland and Rose cleared a powerful Abdoulaye Ba header off the line.

Joe Allen’s exit after an hour was another cause for concern as he had already been down once, and then came another shocker as Ciss wiped Bellamy out on the edge of the area with a tackle that caught the striker around the knee.

Home players charged in to express their disgust, yet Great Britain did not even receive a free-kick. Bellamy was able to continue, although he was eventually replaced, to the kind of reception he has never experienced at Old Trafford before.

The uplifting atmosphere was punctured by Konate eight minutes from time as he delicately lifted the ball over an advancing Butland to deny GB their win.

Great Britain: Butland, Richards, Caulker, Taylor, Bertrand, Cleverley, Allen (Ramsey 63), Giggs, Bellamy (Cork 79), Sturridge (Sordell 46), Rose. Subs Not Used: Steele, Dawson, Tomkins, Sinclair.

Senegal: Ousmane Mane, Souare (Yero 88), Ciss, Ba, Papa Gueye, Toure, Konate, Sadio Mane, Diame, Idrissa Gana Gueye (Kouyate 42), Ibra (Magaye Gueye 65). Subs Not Used: Camara, Seck, Mbodji, Badji.