Soccer

Northern Ireland beaten by goal from Austria's West Ham ace Marko Arnautovic

Northern Ireland's Stuart Dallas  and Austria's Stefan Lainer  during the game  at the Ernst Happel Stadium  in Vienna
Northern Ireland's Stuart Dallas and Austria's Stefan Lainer during the game at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna Northern Ireland's Stuart Dallas and Austria's Stefan Lainer during the game at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna

Nations Cup: League B, Group 3: Austria 0 Northern Ireland 1 

IN the city which provided the setting for ‘The Third Man’ Northern Ireland look like being the third team in group three which will slip down into the third tier.

There was no real mystery to why that was – the best player on the pitch, Austria captain Marko Arnautovic provided a moment of magic to separate the sides 25 minutes into the second half.

The West Ham star’s goal was a hammer blow to the north’s hopes of progressing to the top flight of European football and indeed they will probably go down a rung unless they can avoid defeat away to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday night.

The hosts just about deserved the win in a match that was pretty poor in the first half but lively at times after that – including Will Grigg hitting the woodwork late on for the visitors.

In his now typical fashion, Michael O’Neill threw something of a curve ball with his left field selection, picking Shane Ferguson in midfield for his first competitive start in almost two years, since the 4-0 home win over Azerbaijan.

More predictably, Josh Magennis was the lone forward in a 4-5-1 formation, with Paddy McNair preferred to Conor McLaughlin at right back.

Although the pre-match build-up included both Status Quo and ‘The Radetzky March’ blasting out, the stadium was less than half-full and got a first half to match that sense of apathy.

Austria were trying to pass the ball out from the back, helped by the visitors, understandably, not pressing as high up the pitch as they did in their two matches in Belfast last month.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell stood up well to the first threat he faced, bravely saving from an offside Guido Burgstaller, but then the Leeds goalkeeper literally handed the first real opportunity of note to the hosts by bizarrely picking up a back pass.

However, when the ball was teed up for Arnautovic he could only shoot into the wall. Northern Ireland might have gone ahead shortly before the half-hour mark but when Olly Norwood’s drilled cross-field ball picked out the unmarked Ferguson he could only head well over the bar – or badly over the bar, to be more honest.

Austria had an even clearer opening minutes later when Burgstaller guided a pass through the inside left channel to Marcel Sabitzer but he could not take the ball in his stride, allowing McNair to hack it out for a corner, which Watford centre half Sebastian Prodl headed over the bar.

There was more than a whiff of the Spanish Riding School off this match, certainly before the break, and the sound of clattering hoofs too, especially as the visitors launched it long in the general direction of Magennis.

Northern Ireland's Jamal Lewis and Austria's Valentino Lazaro  during the game  at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna 
Northern Ireland's Jamal Lewis and Austria's Valentino Lazaro during the game at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna  Northern Ireland's Jamal Lewis and Austria's Valentino Lazaro during the game at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna 

The second half produced better as early as its second minute, when a long throw from Stuart Dallas was only half-cleared and McNair swung a left-footed shot that the keeper pushed away.

Austria then opened up the NI defence, Arnautovic daintily stepping over a sliding challenge from Dallas, but his precise low shot was pushed round the post by Peacock-Farrell, who then saved at the second attempt moments later when the home skipper set up Sabitzer for a snap-shot.

The visiting captain probably should have scored minutes later but Steven Davis dragged his shot well wide when he raced away from several defenders.

Even though the game was warming up, as the hour mark approached (and long after it) out rang the Will Grigg song. The game then drifted back into dull mediocrity, only for that something special from Hammer Arnautovic, who latched onto a neat pass from Peter Zulj, cut inside McNair, and clipped a low right-foot shot in off the shin of Peacock-Farrell.

Home right-back Stefan Lainer then almost snatched a second with a cheeky near post effort from a Valentino Lazaro corner.

O’Neill responded positively to conceding the goal, sending on Kyle Vassell for his debut, replacing midfielder George Saville, then at last The Wigan wonder then almost burnt Austria, soaring to meet a McNair corner and smartly backheading it beyond the ’keeper – but back into his grateful arms off the far post.

The men in icy blue were turning up the heat but could not force an equaliser against Austria, whose impressive home form continues.

Indeed the hosts almost made it 2-0 in the third minute of added time when Arnautovic ran clear onto a chipped free kick but swept his shot wide of both Peacock-Farrell and the far post.

After recent raised hopes, Northern Ireland fell back into familiar ways, losing away and failing to score, making Kyle Lafferty’s withdrawal all the more noticeable.

Austria will now hope that Northern Ireland take something away from Sarajevo on Monday – and if they don’t, they will almost surely be slipping out of the top 24 in Europe.

Northern Ireland rankings

Bailey Peacock-Farrell: Saved bravely from an offside Burgstaller, then strangely decided to handle a back pass. Saved smartly from Arnautovic and Sabitzer. 6.5

Paddy McNair: Covered across well but over-hit a couple of free kick deliveries. Decent shot early in second half and pushed well up late on, including sending corner over for Grigg’s chance. 7

Craig Cathcart: Assured in his interceptions and headed a series of hopeful crosses away, but could not prevent the winning goal. 6.5

Jonny Evans: Clattered almost immediately by Arnautovic but recovered to put in a typically composed display, always seeming to be in the right place to clear danger. 7

Jamal Lewis: Alert and strong against the dangerous Lazaro, but more troubled by him in the second half, with his positioning still suspect. 6.5

Olly Norwood: Started well and spread the play well with diagonal passes but never made much more impact going forward as the game wore on. 6.5

George Saville: Harried opponents, combative in his efforts to win possession, but could not really get into the match and was replaced by attacker Vassell. 6

Steven Davis: The skipper showed his usual neat touches but was, unusually, caught in possession. Spurned a good opportunity with a dragged shot. 6.5

Stuart Dallas: The right side seemed like the right place for him but he found it hard to get into the game. Switched to the left when Corry Evans came on and did a little better. 6

Josh Magennis: Isolated up front, made more of an impression with his work back in defence, before giving way to Grigg. 6

Shane Ferguson: A solid start but should at least have got his header on target from Norwood’s pin-point cross. First man replaced, by Corry Evans. 5.5

SUBSTITUTES

Corry Evans: Came on for Ferguson, going to right midfield and made an early impression with a nice touch to Magennis in the box, but was limited after that, dropping deeper. 6

Kyle Vassell: Introduced for Saville for his debut but never really got an opportunity to show his ability. 6

Will Grigg: Brilliant back-header deserved a goal but came back to the keeper off the post.