Burnley’s Josh Cullen still has a shot of making next year’s World Cup after helping the Republic of Ireland seal a dramatic last-gasp win against Hungary.

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Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side needed to beat Hungary away from home to finish second in their qualifying group and seal a spot in the World Cup play-offs.

Trailing 2-1, it looked as though the Irish were about to miss out, having kept their qualifying hopes alive last week with a surprise 2-0 win against group winners Portugal, who thrashed Armenia 9-1 in their final game to ensure top spot.

But ex-Tottenham striker Troy Parrott, who scored both of their goals against Portugal, bagged a remarkable hat-trick as Ireland stole the victory right at the death, with the winner coming in the 96th minute in Budapest.

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It means Ireland finish second in the group stage and progress to the play-off stage, which gets underway in March.

Cullen started today’s game to make his 47th appearance for Ireland, meaning he’s just three shy of his 50th cap.

Cullen celebrates with his former Burnley teammate Dara O'Shea at the full-time whistle (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images)

placeholder image — Cullen celebrates with his former Burnley teammate Dara O'Shea at the full-time whistle (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images)

The Essex-born midfielder, who qualifies for Ireland through his grandparents, played 80 minutes before being replaced by Ipswich Town’s Jack Taylor, having picked up a booking.

The 29-year-old completed 81 per cent of his 47 passes, with seven of those progressing into the final third. He also produced one tackle, one block and made four recoveries.

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