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When it finally came time for Northern Ireland’s two-year quest for a second straight European Championship appearance, Kyle Lafferty got down on his knees and cried. A week after the death of his 41-year-old sister Sonia, the forward came off the bench and almost resumed his role as the savior of his country in the European Championship qualifying. It wasn’t going to be. There was only pain for Ian Baraclough and his players at Windsor Park.
“The worst thing I’ve ever felt after a game,” was how the new Northern Ireland manager put it. The 1,060 fans allowed inside Windsor for the play-off final against Slovakia will no doubt agree. It was a tense and tense night; the kind that Northern Ireland has enjoyed in recent years and seemed to have embraced once again when Paddy McNair forced Milan Skriniar through his own goal in the 87th minute. That canceled out Juraj Kucka’s goal in the first half for the visitors and seemed to tip the tie in favor of the hosts in extra time.
Lafferty transformed Northern Ireland as an attacking threat with his heist-and-bond game after his belated introduction. In the 90th minute he beat Slovakian goalkeeper Marek Rodak from 20 meters only to have his low shot ricochet off the post. The momentum continued in Northern Ireland until the 110th minute, when a Kucka pass bounced off Michal Duris ‘path off Jonny Evans’ back. Duris fought his way down the right and beat Bailey Peacock-Farrell too easily on his first post.
Slovakia’s first game also came off a defensive lapse by Baraclough’s team, which pressured, harassed and worked its way back into contention as the players fell through injuries during overtime. They bombarded Slovakia’s penalty area again in the final minutes.
Evans, free inside the box, headed straight for Rodak with the final act of an absorbing competition. It would be the last act in a long and tumultuous qualifying campaign for Northern Ireland.
Baraclough said of Lafferty: “It shows the magnitude of the guy who wants his country to do so well and it must have been very difficult to make a decision like that so soon after such a sad loss. But the character was there for everyone to see.
“George Saville has had to deal with problems in the run-up. Stuart Dallas injured his arm in the game but didn’t give up. Others suffered cramps. But they gave absolutely everything ”.
Northern Ireland produced purposeful spells during normal and overtime without turning pressure into clear opportunity. Slovakia was much more clinical in adding Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland on its list of conquests on the way to Euro 2020.
The visitors absorbed the initial pressure as Northern Ireland made a determined start and gradually gained the lead with smarter attacking play. Marek Hamsik took control of midfield and threw dangerous passes behind the home wings, while fake number 9 Ondrej Duda regularly knocked the media Evans and Craig Cathcart out of position. However, the breakthrough was quite disastrous from a household perspective.
Saville headed a cross ball to his defense under little pressure, but unaware that Evans had also come out to intercept. The communication confusion was punished in style by Kucka, who, sent on target by a misguided header, outwitted Peacock-Farrell with a calm, clinical shot inside the keeper’s right post.
Group A Turkey, Italy, Welsh, Switzerland
B Group Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia
Group C Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia
Group D England, Croatia, Scotland, Czech Republic
Group E Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia
Group F Hungary, Portugal, France, Germany
Provisional fixtures and locations can be viewed here.
Northern Ireland created little in the first half other than Niall McGinn who nearly fooled Rodak with a deep cross and shot from 20 yards after pouncing on a loose pass from Stanislav Lobotka. His pressure, intensity and creativity had to improve and the second half brought the necessary recovery.
Conor Washington pulled off Rodak’s first genuine save when McGinn stole possession and broke into the Slovak area. The winger’s last ball was behind Washington, but he launched a direct shot at the Fulham goalkeeper.
Baraclough rattled the changes in a desperate search for a draw.
Lafferty, the hero of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, nearly pushed back the years when he was inches away from connecting with the Jamal Lewis cross. He also launched Dallas into the box with a lovely move, but time and opportunity slipped away from Northern Ireland when the late pressure finally paid off.
McNair edged out two tired Slovak challenges down the right, reached the baseline and directed a low cross to Liam Boyce at the near post.
The excellent Skriniar had to step in, but only managed to steer the ball into his own net. Windsor Park exploded and Lafferty came very close to conjuring up an impressive victory and emotional dash with his 90-minute shot off the post.
Momentum appeared with Northern Ireland in overtime, but one more lapse, one more clinical blow from Slovakia, and it was all over.
