Euro 2020 qualifying Group C: Belarus 0 Northern Ireland 1
A FABULOUS finish from Paddy McNair made it four from four as Northern Ireland’s out of this world start to this group continued in the spaceship setting of Borisov.
The visitors looked like they might have to settle for a point, which would still have kept them top, but the 24-year-old superbly scored his first senior goal in the 86th minute.
The goal was reminiscent of Alan Kennedy’s winner for Liverpool in the 1981 European Cup Final. On this occasion McNair latched onto a low pass from Jordan Jones, skipped past a defender, and then swept a ground shot into the net.
‘We’re on our way…’ sang the Green And White Army, and ‘We’re going to win the group’. Those may yet not come true, but ‘We’ve got McNair, Paddy McNair’ certainly is and the Ballynure man proved his quality in front of his watching parents.
The win was probably deserved against dogged hosts who created some half-chances but only once really stretched Northern Ireland’s young goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
For the first time ever NI have won their first four matches in a qualifying campaign. Sure, the fixtures fell kindly for them, but the effort and character shown have been exemplary.
After the come-from-behind win in high heat in Estonia, it was unsurprising that Michael O’Neill freshened up his team, making four changes to the side that started in Tallinn.
Corry Evans replaced George Saville in midfield and there was also a completely new front three: the super-subs of Saturday evening, Josh Magennis, Conor Washington, and Jordan Jones came in for Gavin Whyte, Liam Boyce, and Stuart Dallas.
Belarus also had four alterations from their weekend defeat by Germany, notably including Igor Stasevich, whose deflected shot had levelled the meeting in Belfast, before a late winner from Magennis.
The temperatures were high again here, 27 degrees at kick-off at 9.45pm local time, but the visitors did begin brightly and the best effort of the first half came as early as the fourth minute, left-back Jamal Lewis finding Washington, who cut inside onto his right foot before shooting just wide.
Both sides were quick on the counter-attack, but another of the fresher home players, Pavel Nekhaychik over-hit a pass which might have otherwise allowed Yuri Kovalev a clear opening.
McNair was the brightest of the visiting midfield three and when he was fouled he sent the free kick deep into the penalty area, but neither Magennis nor Jonny Evans could manage to trouble the keeper when the ball came to them.
Stasevich was proving dangerous on the left flank, drifting in onto his right foot and delivering sweetly, or releasing over-lapping left-back Denis Polyakov to whip over crosses.
On his home pitch, Stasevich then switched over to the right and caused problems there too, although neither keeper had a save of any note to make before the break.
NI again had an opening early in the second half, when the keeper fumbled a cross from Jones and Magennis forced it back towards McNair, but he slipped as he tried to get a shot away. Seconds later Washington cracked in a shot which the keeper flew to save.
The visitors seemed to be getting on top, with McNair forcing a corner, Washington stumbling as he chased down a long back-pass, and Jones looking lively on the left.
However, Michael Smith had to move smartly to block a shot from Nekhaychik, following a lay-off from substitute centre-forward Denis Laptev. Another replacement, Sergei Kislayak, sent in a snap-shot, but the save was comfortable.
That certainly wasn’t the case in the 70th minute when Peacock-Farrell reacted brilliantly to turn around a fierce effort from Stasevich, who had been left unmarked to meet a free kick rolled across the edge of the penalty area to him from Kislyak.
George Saville came on for Corry Evans and suggested that he might break his international duck but he saw a shot blocked from inside the area and then couldn’t get enough power into a downward header.
When right-back Michael Smith met a half-cleared corner with a smashing volley which whizzed wide it appeared not to be Northern Ireland’s night.
McNair had different ideas, though, and he combined cleverly with Jones on the left before firing the men in green in front and keeping them clear at the top of Group C.
There are fare tougher tests to come but so far O’Neill’s men have done all that has been asked of them.
Games against the Netherlands and Germany may bring Northern Ireland back down to earth but for now they are flying high.
Games in June are never easy but the season has ended in style for Northern Ireland.
Belarus (4-4-2): Gutor; Shitov (Veretilo, 71), Naumov, Martynovich, Polyakov; Kovalev, Korzun (Kislyak, h-t), Maevski, Stasevich; Nechaychik, Shikavka (Laptev, 58)
Northern Ireland: Peacock-Farrell; Smith, Cathcart, J Evans, Lewis; McNair, Davis (capt.), C Evans (Saville, 69); Magennis (Dallas, 56), Washington (Lafferty, 72), Jones
Referee: Harald Lechner (Austria)
