Tanya Oxtoby’s side had to suffer a Norway onslaught in the first half and through a number of superb blocks and good saves from Jackie Burns, they came in at half-time only a goal behind after some great skill from Graham Hansen.
“Tonight showed our togetherness, they were a great side, they’re some of the best players in the world and we put our bodies on the line,” added McKenna.
“We had nothing to lose and we wanted to come out and put a performance on and I think we did that.”
The Birmingham City defender was also pleased with Northern Ireland’s composure on the ball as they fashioned some half chances after neat passages of play.
“Tanya put a lot of faith in us coming into this game which gave us confidence and that showed. We played some really nice football compared to the first leg and we were a lot happier with that.”
McKenna believed their display at the Ullevaal Stadium was the positive end to a year in which they have made great strides with results and performances.
“We’ve had massive progress; we have grown as a group through this year and hopefully 2025 can bring a lot more good memories for us,” she said.