Soccer-Bulgaria held to 1-1 draw by Ireland in qualifier

SOFIA, June 6 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's hopes of reaching the World Cup finals were dented after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Ireland in a Group Eight qualifier on Saturday.

Ireland went ahead when defender Richard Dunne rose unmarked to head past Dimitar Ivankov after 24 minutes having connected with Stephen Hunt's floated free kick from the left.

Bulgaria equalised five minutes later when Dimitar Telkiyski latched on to a long pass from Croatian-born defender Igor Tomasic and calmly slotted the ball home.

The hosts began the second half with more determination but created few clear chances while Ireland, standing firm at the back, waited for opportunities to counter-attack which hardly ever materialised.

Italy top the standings with 14 points from six matches, followed by Ireland with 13 from seven games. Bulgaria are third with eight points. The top three are still undefeated.

The group winners qualify for the finals while the best eight runners-up from the nine groups go through to a playoff.

(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; Editing by Ken Ferris To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)