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Northern Ireland’s qualifying campaign for Euro 2020 ended in a headache as Michal Duris’ goal in extra time condemned them to a final play-off defeat at home to Slovakia.
A dramatic own goal by Milan Skriniar in the 88th minute canceled Juraj Kucka’s first half and sent the game into an extra half hour.
The momentum seemed to be with the hosts, but it all changed in the 110th minute when a hopeful pass bounced off Jonny Evans and fell kindly for Duris to beat Bailey Peacock-Farrell at his near post.
The Burnley goalkeeper will feel like he could have done better, but it was a heavy blow to Northern Ireland as their hopes of qualifying for a second consecutive European Championship were dashed.
Ian Baraclough’s men started the night in the unusual favorite position against a team that fired their coach last month but were unable to capitalize as Slovakia made the most of the opportunities they had.
Northern Ireland, so often guilty of having gotten off to a slow start of late, seemed determined to correct that as they raced off the blocks to put Slovakia back at the start, roaring for the 1,060 fans allowed at Windsor Park.
But finding a final ball proved elusive, and Slovakia had already threatened through former Manchester City player Albert Rusnak before taking the lead against running the game.
George Saville attempted to chest the ball back to Evans from the midline, but realized too late that the Leicester defender had gone ahead, giving Kucka the freedom to run and shoot past Peacock-Farrell. .
However, Northern Ireland responded well the other way around.
Niall McGinn, recovered in the starting eleven for the first time since scoring in the play-off semifinal against Bosnia and Herzegovina last month, came close to passing Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak with a cross that went to the far post. , before Stuart Dallas dragged. a wide throw.
A McGinn cross narrowly missed Josh Magennis before the Aberdeen winger fired off a loose pass from Stanislav Lobotka, and Northern Ireland trailed at the break.
In the second half, they were on their backs with their front foot, using high pressure to keep the visitors under pressure around their own box, with Conor Washington testing Rodak after McGinn won the ball.
But the occasion was perhaps coming to Northern Ireland when they began to rush the passes, allowing Slovakia to assert ever greater control.
Gavin Whyte and Jordan Thompson replaced Washington and Saville, but it was the decision to send Kyle Lafferty and Liam Boyce in place of McGinn and Magennis that altered the dynamic.
The leveler arrived with two minutes to go. Paddy McNair ran into the box from the right, looking to feed substitute Boyce, but it was Skriniar who turned the ball into his own net.
Lafferty then fired at the post as Northern Ireland looked for an unlikely winner before the 90 minutes were up, but the game went into extra time instead.
His efforts began to take their toll. Craig Cathcart left clutching his groin in the 97th minute, while McNair followed shortly after, suffering a cramp.
The energy faded from Northern Ireland as they advanced, and the hammer blow came 10 minutes from the end when Duris struck.
Inevitably there was a late opportunity to level, with a Thompson cross knocking Evans six yards from goal, but the exhausted defender couldn’t find the power he needed to beat Ro
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