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Jamie Ward and Craig Cathcart are fully focused on Ukraine

By Kenny Archer in Lyon

MOST international tournaments bring talk about balls and bounce - and Jamie Ward insists Northern Ireland won’t be found wanting in those regards, at least in one sense.

This team has been transformed over the past two years and the Nottingham Forest striker believes they can bounce back from the opening loss to Poland against Ukraine on Thursday: “Look at us in the World Cup campaign - we had nothing going for us,” said Ward.

“But the European qualifiers came along and it was if we were a totally different team. The confidence that went through us was unreal. You can see we have a bit of balls about us and character. This group of players will always fight to the end.”

The 30-year-old also put the disappointment of defeat into perspective, saying: “We shouldn’t feel sorry for ourselves because we’ve done really well to be here.

“That was our first loss in 13 games. Two years ago, if you’d told us that would be our record at this point, we would have been delighted. It’s been an unreal experience and so has this tournament.”

Another defeat, perhaps even a draw, would effectively end any realistic hopes of progressing to the knock-out stages, given that Germany are the final Group C opponents next Sunday. Ward is adamant that he and his colleagues will give their all in an effort to defeat Ukraine. 

“We’re still in control of our own destiny. We’ve got to make sure we leave nothing out there on the pitch. In tournament football, your fortunes can change very quickly because the next game comes around within days. Forget about the Poland game and focus on the next game,” he said.

Northern Ireland fans are ready for Ukraine game:

The tactics and formation for that first game, especially the starting lineup, have come under severe scrutiny. The initial side seemed too defensive, as shown by all three substitutes - Stuart Dallas, Conor Washington and Ward himself - being attacking players.

Those changes made for a more attacking threat, but Ward admitted he felt he could have offered more in his 15 or so minutes on the pitch: “It was such a big occasion, so not to get the chance to start and play at least 60/70 minutes was disappointing for myself…

“Stuey and Conor did well. I wasn’t too bad, although I could have done better a couple of times. Coming into the game and trying to change it in a short space of time is obviously tough.”

The same adjective applied to the task Kyle Lafferty had as a lone striker, especially as the service to him wasn’t good enough: “It was tough for Kyle up there by himself. It’s a tough job," he added. 

“When we do get the ball to him we have to deliver it with quality. Hopefully we can do that in next game.”

His colleague Craig Cathcart came close to stopping Poland’s goal, almost blocking the shot from Arek Milik as part of a defiant defensive display, and he feels that shows the fine margins between positive and negative results at this standard of football.

The proverbial bounce of the ball, if you will: “It was the one time he got any sort of space in the between me and ‘G’ [Gareth McAuley] and I think it went through the pair of us. Those are the differences at this level. Any space they have, they make the most of it.”

The Watford defender said that the approach has not changed, despite the defeat, declaring: “We came into the opening game trying to win it and it will be no different in Lyon against Ukraine," he said. 

"We know what we have to do now. We need three points and we can’t wait for the game. We have to pick ourselves up, take the positives out of the Poland game and look at the negatives and be ready for Ukraine.”

Bearing in mind the Ukrainians also lost their first match, 2-0 against Germany, he believes Thursday night’s encounter is poised to be an entertaining one, explaining: “Yes, it sets up our game because both of us will be going for the win.

"They’ll be coming for us just as much as we are going for them. I think that should make for a really good game.”