Northern Ireland squandered a two-goal lead in the space of three minutes but a 2-2 Nations League draw with Luxembourg was still enough for Michael O’Neill’s side to earn promotion as winners of Group 3C.
Northern Ireland looked to be in control after Isaac Price fired them ahead in the 19th minute and Conor Bradley doubled the advantage early in the second half, but Seid Korac got Luxembourg back into it in the 72nd minute – and moments later Gerson Rodrigues fired in an equaliser.
It set up a tense finish at the Stade de Luxembourg but Northern Ireland hung on and the point, coupled with a 1-1 draw between Bulgaria and Belarus, saw them top the group by two points.
Northern Ireland can celebrate promotion to League B but O’Neill will be frustrated to have let slip what looked like a comfortable lead as his side sought their first competitive away win since beating San Marino 2-0 in March last year – his
first game back as manager.
O’Neill made two changes from Friday’s 2-0 win over Belarus in Belfast, one enforced, and together they brought the average age down to 22.2 – Northern Ireland’s youngest starting XI since World War Two.
Ruairi McConville, who made his debut as a late substitute last week, came in for the suspended Ciaron Brown, and there was a first start for Ethan Galbraith, his fourth cap coming five years after he made his debut in a friendly against
the same opposition.
The Leyton Orient midfielder was part of a bright, composed start from Northern Ireland, who moved the ball well, with Dion Charles almost through on goal but for a late Korac challenge in the ninth minute.
Northern Ireland’s midfield pairing of Shea Charles and Ali McCann were again effective in winning back possession and in doing so set up another chance in the 18th minute, but Price could not stretch to meet Galbraith’s low cross.
It was almost a repeat a minute later as Northern Ireland got their goal. This time Bradley won possession, Shea Charles swept it forward and, after a neat step over from Dion Charles, Price bent it into the bottom corner of the net with a first-time shot, his fourth goal in his last six and sixth overall for his country.
Five minutes into the second half Northern Ireland were celebrating again, thanks in large part to a howler from goalkeeper Tiago Pereira.
Bradley’s header from Price’s cross should have been routine for the goalkeeper but Pereira somehow let it squirm past him – giving Bradley the 100th Northern Ireland goal of O’Neill’s two spells in charge.
The Liverpool man should have made it 3-0 in the 65th minute from another Price cross but this time he got it badly wrong, slicing a shot wide with the goal gaping in front of him.
That left the door open for Luxembourg and they soon barged through it. Former Norwich winger Daniel Sinani sent in a free-kick from deep and Korac arrived to prod it home, with Pierce Charles beaten for the first time on his fourth
Northern Ireland appearance.
Three minutes later it was level. Northern Ireland could only half-clear a cross and the ball fell for Rodrigues, who made no mistake as he lashed a half-volley into the top corner.
The game opened up further in the final stages but Northern Ireland hung on to secure promotion.