Down, but not out, Michael will see fresh promise
SO our Nations League campaign is over. Shame. Just when we had figured out how it all works — well almost.
Northern Ireland’s first experience of Uefa’s new and very complicated competition ended with a late, late defeat against Austria.
Not that it really mattered. League B Group 3 — we’re used to all the complexity by now — had already been decided.
Bosnia had won the mini-league. Northern Ireland would finish bottom. Nothing here was going to change that.
It may have been a nothing game on a chilly November evening but the national stadium was still rocking.
Some 17,895 piled in, making for another of those special Windsor atmospheres.
That the stadium was packed for a game with little at stake says much about the feelgood factor still around Northern Ireland.
Even that late goal from Valentino Lazaro isn’t going to change that.
A new Euro qualifying campaign gets under way in the spring, and this is a young team with potential.
In his programme notes Michael O’Neill wrote about how the Nations League has allowed him to blood new players.
Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Jamal Lewis and Gavin Whyte have all emerged as prospects.
And yesterday there was a hint of promising times to come with Northern Ireland’s Victory Shield-winning team introduced before kick-off.
The under-16 side had beaten Wales earlier in the week to lift the trophy for only the second time. They were applauded by the crowd before doing a lap of honour.
There was also warm applause to mark the passing of Derek McKinley, the team’s long-serving kitman, who died during the week.
The travelling support was seated in a corner of the North Stand, forming a collage of red and white as the teams emerged.
Yet it was dwarfed by the home support, with many of the fans dressed in green T-shirts in defiance of temperatures.
Northern Ireland started on the front foot, roared on by the lively home crowd.
Seven minutes in a deflected effort from Corry Evans had the fans on their feet. Alas it was tipped over by Austrian goalkeeper Heinz Lindner.
Towards the end of the half a free-kick from Niall McGinn whistled an inch wide.
Northern Ireland fell behind four minutes after the restart to Xaver Schalger’s low shot.
It briefly silenced the crowd, but the volume was turned up again when Corry Evans equalised seven minutes later.
But Lazaro’s 92nd minute strike was typical of a frustrating 2018.
The Austrian fans celebrated with a thunderclap — yes, they’ve adopted it too.
It leaves Northern Ireland on their worst run since an 18-month spell between 2011 and 2013.
There are reasons to be hopeful, though, and afterwards O’Neill referred to his young team, built on players from the Championship and League One.
They need time and to learn how to manage games, he said — a reference to the lapse which led to Austria’s winner.
The focus now turns to next month’s draw for the Euro 2020 qualifiers.