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Northern Ireland had to pay for a makeshift defense, as Norway scored three times in the first 20 minutes on their way to a 5-1 Nations League victory at Windsor Park.
With Jonny Evans and Jamal Lewis absent from the team of the day, Northern Ireland was repeatedly exposed at the rear with Bailey Peacock-Farrell, the hero of Friday’s 1-1 draw in Romania, unable to do anything like Mohamed Elyounoussi, Erling Haaland and Alexander. Sorloth all scored early goals.
There was time during a frenzied opening sequence for Paddy McNair to score the equalizer in the fifth minute, but second-half goals from Sorloth and Haaland saw Northern Ireland concede five at home for the first time since 2003.
Played amidst the echoes of an empty Windsor Park, it certainly wasn’t the night Ian Baraclough was hoping for in his first home game in charge, and it will be a punishing experience with the Euro 2020 qualifying play-off in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be the next place on the agenda in October.
Steven Davis lined up to win his 119th international game, equaling Pat Jennings’ Northern Ireland record, but the team’s sheet contained many other surprises.
Jonny Evans missed Friday’s trip to Romania for what was described as “personal reasons” but had trained with his teammates after his return and was said to be available, and Leicester posted a good luck message for his center on social media. in the morning.
But he was absent from the team of the day along with Jamal Lewis, the Norwich left-back believed to be closing in on Newcastle, and Baraclough said before kick-off that both players were out with “problems”.
That left Daniel Ballard, who had spent much of the time since his impressive Bucharest debut in an ice bath after suffering cramps, to start over alongside Craig Cathcart with Shane Ferguson and Michael Smith starting at winger positions.
But the patched back line was immediately under scrutiny, as Norway took the lead too easily in just two minutes.
A long ball over the top found the run of an unmarked Elyounoussi inside the area and he had time to take a touch before shooting past the defenseless Peacock-Farrell.
Moments later, there was hope when Norwegian goalkeeper Rune Jarstein could only push Conor Washington’s shot in the way of McNair, who scored the rebound.
But it was a temporary respite. Two minutes later, Northern Ireland was again unable to tackle a diagonal ball inside the box and it felt good for Haaland to launch an unstoppable left-footed shot home from 20 yards.
In the 19th minute, the rolling ball came from the left, but the result was the same as an unmarked Sorloth met a cross from Haitam Aleesami to score from close range.
Baraclough seemed to turn things around at halftime, sending Liam Boyce for Ballard as McNair went on defense.
But two minutes after the restart, things only got worse when Haaland beat Cathcart for pace chasing a ball over the top, then sideways for Sorloth to set up home a room for the visitors.
Haaland had his second before the hour, and it was again too easy for Norway to cut through with a single touch before Omar Elabdellaoui headed the ball for the Borussia Dortmund man to lift it over the stranded Peacock-Farrell.
It just wasn’t Northern Ireland night, a highlight when Davis, given the opportunity to score his historic appearance with a goal, sent an upward shot much later.
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