Ten-player Northern Ireland returned to the all-too-familiar sense of defeat as Adam Cerin’s early free-kick put Group H leaders Slovenia on the brink of qualification for Euro 2024 with a sloppy 1-0 win at Windsor Park.
Saturday’s 3-0 win over minnows San Marino ended Northern Ireland’s five-loss run, but it proved only a temporary reprieve in an injury-plagued qualifying campaign that has now seen Michael O’Neill’s side record five 1- Has suffered 0 defeats in eight matches.
The decisive moment of the match came early. While there was no doubt about the quality of Adam Cerin’s fifth-minute free-kick, Northern Ireland were infuriated by referee Istvan Kovacs’ decision to award the free-kick after Jamal Lewis narrowly saved Benjamin Sesko from the edge of goal. had hit the penalty area.
Shea Charles was shown a yellow card for dissent and it proved costly just before the end when the Southampton midfielder made a late charge on Andraz Sporar and was sent off, the first blemish on the 19-year-old’s impressive start to international football .
Charles has started every game this season but will now miss November’s trip to Finland, another headache for O’Neill, who had to make further substitutions here, with Dan Ballard out due to a thigh problem and Paddy McNair suspended after his late yellow card on Saturday. .
The manager responded with bold choices, handing debuts to Bolton defender Eoin Toal and Kilmarnock midfielder Brad Lyons, the 30th and 31st players used in eight qualifying matches so far, despite more experienced options on the bench.
The atmosphere in a Windsor Park with less capacity was flat in the beginning, but after Cerin’s goal it fell silent. The fans didn’t even have the energy to resume the anti-Casement Park chant they heard before kick-off. As the evening progressed, a sense of injustice fueled the fans.
Northern Ireland responded quickly when Slovenia scored early in Ljubljana last month in a 4-2 defeat, but struggled to threaten here. Paul Smyth, the star of Saturday’s show, found little joy on the right. On the left, Lewis had more fun finding space, but he lacked the required quality of cross.
Although limited going forward, Northern Ireland at least ensured Slovenia’s powerful attacking force had little visibility of Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s goal.
After one rare attack, Slovenia seemed to have got a second just after the half hour. Trai Hume’s poor header went straight to Jan Mlakar and Toal went all wrong when he turned out his low cross, allowing Sesko to stomp home from close range.
However, the visitors’ celebrations were stopped after the referee checked the replay and deemed Sporar to have interfered from an offside position.
O’Neill sent Washington on to Josh Magennis on the break and spent just over ten minutes planning further changes before Charles saw red, forcing a rethink.
Conor McMenamin, one of Saturday’s goals, should have come on, but instead it was George Saville, Dion Charles and Isaac Price who came on with a three-way substitution.
The substitutes combined for Northern Ireland’s best move in the 69th minute when Price drove down the right, exchanged passes with Washington and then pulled the ball back for Saville, but the midfielder, yet to score for Northern Ireland after 49 appearances, didn’t get enough power. on his shot.
A push-off followed in the 72nd minute when Mlakar found space in front of goal but got the contact on his shot all wrong, while at the other end Dion Charles shot harmlessly wide.
Northern Ireland still pressed forward but another fluid move ended with Saville shooting straight at Oblak and other attacks were thwarted by the over-official Kovacs.
Captain Jonny Evans, who was treated for an ankle injury in the first half, finished the match limping badly after another strong impact when challenging for a corner.
What’s next?
Northern Ireland are back in action in November with two Euro 2024 qualifiers scheduled Finland on November 17, followed by a home game against Denmark on November 20.