Ni Focus On Play-off After Slovakia Sucker Punch

Who would ever person thought Northern Ireland would beryllium truthful thankful for nan Nations League?

Infamously, it took nan broadside 4 years to registry a first triumph successful nan competition, their 2-1 triumph complete Kosovo astatine Windsor Park successful September 2022 coming astatine their 15th attempt.

Yet now, acknowledgment to their table-topping showing successful nan astir caller loop successful 2024, nan broadside are conscionable 2 games from a first World Cup quality for nan state successful 40 years.

That their spot successful March's play-offs was wished by their ain performances complete a twelvemonth ago, and past by Croatia's 3-1 triumph complete nan Faroe Islands almost 500 miles distant successful Rijeka connected Friday evening, near an overseas emotion astatine nan extremity of nan 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Slovakia successful Kosice.

Manger and players were intelligibly disappointment by some their ain and nan referee's capacity but, beyond seeding implications, nan extremity consequence was nan aforesaid - a spot arsenic 1 of 16 teams who will beryllium successful nan moving for nan last 4 World Cup places travel March's play-offs.

When nan timepiece struck 90 minutes successful Slovakia, nan visitors were connected people for a constituent that would person near them successful rod position for 2nd spot and qualifying from Group A's ain spot successful nan play-offs without nan request to trust connected their Nations League success.

Had they held on, aliases had referee Istvan Kovacs ruled retired Tomas Bobcek's injury-time victor for a push connected Daniel Ballard, it would not person changed nan reality that this was their worst capacity of what has been an different encouraging campaign.

Such an result ever felt a chopped anticipation fixed their notable absentees for nan game.

In Kosice, Shea Charles was a monolithic nonaccomplishment but cipher who has watched Northern Ireland during O'Neill's 2nd tenure would person expected thing less.

Brad Lyons and George Saville performed determinedly successful nan mediate of nan parkland passim but arguably, extracurricular of Conor Bradley, location is nary subordinate much important to nan origin than nan prestigious Southampton midfielder.

Not to opportunity that Northern Ireland person not tested nan mentation done nan campaign.

The broadside person been without Bradley and Ethan Galbraith for a crippled apiece because of suspensions while, erstwhile each is said and done, Sunderland centre-back Daniel Ballard will person played successful conscionable 3 of nan six fixtures.

Throw successful Ali McCann's absence for this window, and nan truth that first-choice goalkeeper Pierce Charles has missed nan full campaign, and you get a consciousness of really O'Neill's extent has been tested.

It is surely nary coincidence that their strongest capacity - nan 2-0 location triumph complete Slovakia past period - was produced by their strongest squad connected paper.

"The 1 point we've learnt during this run is that you tin suffer a subordinate astatine a moment's notice," said O'Neill.

"You're ne'er successful power of that, but hopefully travel March, nan challenges we've had done this group pinch players missing, we'll not person and we'll beryllium arsenic beardown arsenic we tin be."

Regardless of nan unit and immoderate gripes complete refereeing decisions, O'Neill will beryllium disappointed by nan quality of nan goals his broadside person conceded.

Three of nan 5 goals shipped crossed their defeats done nan run person been from set-pieces, including some successful nan past two, a brace of 1-0 losses.

On Friday, moreover aft nan contentious infinitesimal pinch Ballard, goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell could not woody pinch nan shot into nan box, leaving Slovakian replacement Bobcek needing only to pat into an quiet nett to unafraid a important 3 points for his country.

It was not nan first clip Northern Ireland had struggled pinch crosses into their container from set-plays during nan crippled pinch Slovakia seeing 2 goals chalked disconnected for infringements successful nan container pursuing wide deliveries.

"It is an absolute shocker of a extremity to concede," said erstwhile Northern Ireland midfielder Jim Magilton connected BBC Radio Ulster.

"It was a mediocre determination by nan keeper and, connected nan equilibrium of play, Slovakia deserved to win. You are not going to get 3 VAR decisions successful 1 night."

If location remains a container to beryllium ticked for this young team, it is simply a competitory consequence distant from location against a notionally amended side.

Since O'Neill's return, location has been a friends triumph complete Scotland astatine Hampden Park, but successful position of qualifying victories distant from Windsor Park, it is conscionable nan 2-0 triumph complete San Marino successful March 2023 and September's 3-1 consequence successful Luxembourg.

"Slovakia distant from location is ever difficult, fixed their record," Magilton added.

"The distant shape has been mediocre and it stands out. You do not suffer that game. Even erstwhile you are not playing well, you do not suffer nan game."

Knowing their play-off will now beryllium distant from location against a top-seeded team, a group that is apt to see nan likes of Italy, Poland and Turkey travel Thursday's draw, O'Neill believes his broadside tin tie connected their experiences of travels crossed caller years, moreover nan antagonistic ones.

"Every clip you measurement onto nan transportation arsenic an world player, you study and that's valuable," he said.

"The much world shot we tin get into these boys, nan amended they'll become.

"We're astir apt good up of wherever we thought we'd beryllium astatine this constituent of time."

For now nan mobility becomes really overmuch further down nan way they tin beryllium erstwhile their World Cup destiny will beryllium decided successful 4 months' time.