Soccer

Fortune favours brave Northern Ireland women against Belarus

Kirsty McGuinness fires in the shot which ended up as Northern Ireland&rsquo;s winning goal in their 3-2 victory over Belarus at Seaview.<br /> Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker
Kirsty McGuinness fires in the shot which ended up as Northern Ireland’s winning goal in their 3-2 victory over Belarus at Seaview.
Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker
Kirsty McGuinness fires in the shot which ended up as Northern Ireland’s winning goal in their 3-2 victory over Belarus at Seaview.
Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Uefa Women’s Euro 2021 qualifying Group C: Northern Ireland 3-2 Belarus

Kirsty McGuinness was the star as Northern Ireland’s women took another big step closer to the Euros with a hard-fought victory over Belarus.

The player who was sacrificed in the reverse fixture out in Minsk in order to replace a sent-off goalkeeper scored an early opener and then forced the winner with a shot which went in as an unfortunate own goal from Belarus keeper Nataliya Voskobovich.

There was more luck on the hosts’ side as Rachel Furness netted a seemingly soft penalty to re-take the lead again after visiting skipper Anastasiya Shcherbachenia had twice equalised.

‘One more game’ was the chant from the jubilant women in green afterwards, with another home game at Seaview against the bottom team in the group, the Faroe Islands, to come on Tuesday.

Win that, having already beaten the Faroes 6-0 away, and Kenny Shiels’s side will pip Wales to a play-off spot by virtue of scoring more away goals in their two drawn encounters.

With goalkeeper Jacqueline Burns suspended after her sending off in Minsk, her replacement that day, Becky Flaherty donned the gloves.

Marissa Callaghan came back into the team, to skipper the side, while Emily Wilson also got a start on her home pitch; Sarah McFadden and Simone Magill were absent through injury.

Yet the Everton striker wasn’t missed early on as McGuinness made a superb start. She slipped Wilson in for a second minute shot which was blocked out by the goalkeeper, but when the ball fell to the Lenadoon lady she crashed a left-footed effort high to the net.

The hosts thought they had doubled their advantage just 10 minutes later thanks to some dreadful goalkeeping, Voskobovich allowing a low angled drive from Furness to squirm under her body – but, although a lineswoman appeared to signal a goal it was ruled out by the referee.

Instead the second goal went to Belarus, as a consequence of more questionable ’keeping, and defending, at the other end.

A long punt from the visiting right-back should have been dealt with comfortably, by a back three boasting 285 senior appearances between them, but Demi Vance was out of position. Yet even though Shcherbachenia got in behind Ashley Hutton, who was dragged across to her left flank, there was no real danger – until Flaherty decided to come charging out and the striker coolly rolled the ball past her and into the unguarded net.

The half remained nip and tuck, with Callaghan’s neat passing not matched by her colleagues further forward.

Wilson did pose a threat with her closing down, seizing onto a poor Belarus ball before being tackled, then chasing down a ricochet only to be tackled firmly – but fairly, adjudged the ref – outside the penalty area by the goalkeeper.

Wilson then almost caught Voskobovich out with a cross which morphed into a shot, but the keeper recovered to tip it over her bar.

The hosts went in front just after the hour mark, through a fortunate-looking penalty award, when Julie Nelson went down as she tried to reach a Vance free kick. Furness confidently swept the spot-kick low to the net.

Yet it was level again midway through the half, Shcherbachenia latching on to a clever pass from Anna Pipilenko and clipping past the advancing Flaherty.

Within two minutes, though, McGuinness had eased home nerves. Furness forced the opening, nicking the ball off a defender, and the Sion Swifts attacker strode on before unleashing a fierce shot which cannoned off the far post and in off the sprawling keeper’s head.

There were still 20 minutes to play, plus four added on, but Northern Ireland saw out the win to move nearer the tournament in England.

Northern Ireland: Flaherty; Nelson, Hutton, Vance (Magee, 75); Wade, Caldwell, McCarron, Callaghan (capt.), K McGuinness (Kelly, 89); Furness, Wilson (Sherwood, 86).

Belarus: Voskobovich; Kazakevich, Novikova, Kozyupa, Bohdan; Kharlanova (Olkhovik, h-t), Linnik, Pilipenko (Kubichnaya, 78); Shlapakova (Krasnova, 78), Shcherbachenia (capt.), Shuppo.

Referee: Silvia Domingos (Portugal).