Baraclough: U-21s beating Spain is one of my best achievements
IT was the greatest victory in the history of the Northern Ireland Under-21 side and for manager Ian Baraclough the 2-1 success over a highly rated Spanish side was one of his proudest nights in football.
Appointed last year, Baraclough has produced miracles with the Northern Ireland youngsters. With two games left in the 2019 European Championship qualifying campaign they are in with a chance of finishing second in their group and earning a play-off place for next year’s finals.
Some going given that before Baraclough was appointed, the Under-21 side couldn’t even win a game let alone think of winning a place at a major tournament!
Early goals from Shane Lavery and captain Liam Donnelly from the penalty spot proved enough to earn the momentous victory with Conor Mitchell saving a spot-kick at the other end as the visitors defended for their lives against a team filled with La Liga players who had won their previous seven qualifiers, including a thriller at Shamrock Park earlier in the campaign beating Northern Ireland 5-3.
On Tuesday night in Albacete it was Baraclough’s boys celebrating success.
The 47-year-old had a long playing career in England, excelling for Notts County, Queens Park Rangers and Scunthorpe, where he won League One and League Two titles.
After two decades on the field as a combative defender, he turned to management in 2010. Highlights so far have included league and cup successes with Sligo Rovers and a play-off victory over Rangers to keep Motherwell in the top flight when he was in charge at Fir Park.
The result against Spain is right up there on Baraclough’s achievement list.
“It ranks up there in my top three moments in football. You win a league title and you win cups but to be able to put together this group and work with them and get a result like this is so satisfying,” said Baraclough.
“You don’t get very long to work with players in the international window, especially at this level and we were missing Gavin Whyte, Jamal Lewis and Bailey Peacock-Farrell who were with the senior side and Jordan Thompson was suspended.
“The whole squad in Spain and the staff deserve so much credit. I was immensely proud of them all.
“The only Spanish player who isn’t playing regularly for their La Liga club is the centre forward Mayoral who plays for Real Madrid.
“That’s probably the reason he’s not playing regularly but all the rest do which made it even more special to beat them.”
Baraclough added: “It was a backs-to-the-wall performance where everyone put their bodies on the line.
The had 44 shots on goal and 18 were blocked and our goalkeeper Conor — when he was needed — was there to save the day.
“Everyone to a man was dead walking off the pitch and so happy. It was an unbelievable performance and result.
“In the ground amongst the Spanish fans there was a feeling of disbelief.
“The lone Irishman in the crowd, I don’t know who he was, certainly enjoyed it and all the players went over to him at the end and had photos taken with him. He was in dreamland.”
Baraclough had special words for Motherwell defender Donnelly, who in Spain became Northern Ireland’s most capped Under-21 player with 22 appearances and the nation’s highest goalscorer at that level with five.
“Liam has made history. It was touch and go whether he was going to play because he has not played for three weeks at Motherwell,” revealed the manager.
“I was on the phone to Robbo (Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson) in the week leading up to the game and he wanted him to stay back and train with them and then join up with us later on.
“I said I wanted Liam around for his experience and he proved to be an inspiration.
“I asked him to play in front of the back four — rather than at centre-back — and he went and did the job extremely well, and to score a goal was the icing on the cake.
“He’s now Northern Ireland’s highest Under-21 appearance maker and top scorer for the country at this level — not bad for a centre-back.”
In their group Northern Ireland are third one point behind Slovakia with leaders Spain already qualified for the finals as group winners.
Baraclough’s boys travel to Iceland and host Slovakia next month. If they finish as one of the top four runners-up in the nine groups they will reach the play-offs.