Northern Ireland 0-1 Kazakhstan: Abat Aimbetov scores late winner
Toothless Northern Ireland were stunned when Kazakhstan substitute Abat Aimbetov struck dead to take a 1-0 Euro 2024 qualifying victory at Windsor Park.
With Northern Ireland piled forward in search of a late winner, Aimbetov broke from his own half, drove on Craig Cathcart’s challenge and took advantage when a sliding Paddy McNair got in the way of Ciaron Brown and sent the ball past Bailey Peacock-Farrell to stunned the home crowd.
Michael O’Neill had said he had no thoughts of qualifying for next summer’s finals after Friday’s 1-0 defeat in Denmark, and this result is another huge blow as they have just three points, earned against minnows San Marino, opening their four games.
When Northern Ireland left Copenhagen after Friday’s 1-0 defeat there was optimism about the way they had competed, only a late equalizer denied by marginal offside, but the mood was very different here as the final whistle was met with boos.
Northern Ireland’s inability to overcome 50 places below them at home showed the limitations of this young team, bereft of experience by injuries to older players.
Abat Aimbetov scored a late winner as Kazakhstan won 1-0 against Northern Ireland
Aimbetov celebrates after his goal, which was scored in the 88th minute of the match
Northern Ireland’s defeat means they have only taken three points from four qualifying games
Michael O’Neill was frustrated after his Northern Ireland side conceded at the last minute
Another blank point means Northern Ireland have scored just two in their last nine home games in qualifying campaigns, with a lack of quality in the final third thwarting their ambitions.
O’Neill had spoken of the difficulty of adapting his side’s mentality from the predominantly defensive attitude they had in Copenhagen on Friday to playing on the front foot at home, but although they kept Kazakhstan pinned for long periods, there were only a few and occasional threats. .
Cathcart bounced back from the back injury that sidelined him on Friday, but there was no Conor Bradley, sidelined after hyperextending his knee in Copenhagen, and his attacking threat was missed.
Trai Hume, switched to right-back in place of Bradley, shot over early from the edge of the box before Dion Charles, back for Shayne Lavery, failed to keep a shot in after being played in by Shea Charles.
But arguably the best chance of the half was for Kazakhstan when Maxim Samorodov ran away from McNair and spun inside Hume, only to drag his shot wide of the post from eight yards with only Peacock-Farrell beating.
Northern Ireland responded well. Isaac Price’s shot from the edge of the box bounced off Abzal Beysebekov, ran away from the goalkeeper and headed just wide of the post.
From the resulting corner, McNair headed back into the danger zone, but Cathcart couldn’t keep it down from just four yards out.
The pace soon dropped, Northern Ireland seemed to struggle with new ideas, and they didn’t threaten again until the 44th minute. Dion Charles held the ball up for George Saville, but the Millwall midfielder, still without an international goal after 46 caps, headed over from close range.
Northern Ireland’s Craig Cathcart challenges Kazakhstan’s Bakhtiyar Zaynutdinov
Manchester City youngster Shea Charles is trying to impress for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland’s George Saville looks set to impress under pressure from Marat Bystrov
The half ended with Baktiyor Zainutdinov firing a shot wide as he was surrounded by Northern Irish defenders.
Northern Ireland’s frustrations continued after the break. Saville flicked the ball over the goal early in the half – the cross just needed a touch, but no one was there to add it.
Price had a chance to release Dion Charles when Northern Ireland tried to break from a Kazakhstan corner, but he played the ball behind the Bolton striker when there was half a pitch to run to.
The atmosphere in Windsor Park was flat, the tiny group of Kazakhstani fans could be heard above the buzz from the Kop.
Conor McMenamin replaced Jonny Evans, soon seen with an ice pack on his shoulder, and more attacking reinforcements came in the form of Lavery and Dale Taylor, but apart from an angular shot from McMenamin that was knocked over by Igor Shatskiy, there was little to excite the public. Aimbetov’s deadly late blow.