Goal-shy Irish keep pressure on Baraclough
MANAGER CANNOT FIND FIRST WIN
NORTHERN IRELAND’S World Cup hopes were dented further by a frustrating draw with Bulgaria to leave Ian Baraclough still waiting for his first win.
The home side paid for their lack of a cutting edge as they failed to turn their dominance into three points.
And only a fantastic late save by Bailey Peacock-Farrell from Bulgarian sub Dimitar Iliev earned them a point.
They had all the play and created most of the chances, but could not find the goal they deserved at Windsor Park.
The closest they came was when Stuart Dallas headed against the bar in the first half.
Goalscoring is a big problem for Baraclough’s men, netting just seven times in his 11 matches in charge.
They lack quality up top. Last night’s front two, Josh Magennis and Gavin Whyte, play for Hull in League One.
Baraclough, right, said this was a must-win game against a side in one of the deepest troughs in their history.
But Northern Ireland failed to deliver to stand five points behind second-placed Switzerland in the race for one of the two top qualifying spots in Group C.
It was not the result skipper Steven Davis wanted as he made his 126th appearance to become Britain’s most-capped player.
Northern Ireland played with intensity, but, as in Thursday’s defeat by Italy, they failed to turn chances into goals.
The aggressive Magennis was at the heart of most of their attacking play and he had an early header saved by debutant goalkeeper Daniel Naumov. Magennis then did well to cross to the back post, where Dallas headed against the bar.
Paddy McNair whipped in a free-kick which Magennis headed over the bar. The Bulgarians, who had a penalty shout for handball by Jonny Evans waved away, almost caught their hosts with a sucker punch. PeacockFarrell and Craig Cathcart got in a tangle from Kiril Despodov’s free-kick but Valentin Antov headed over.
Northern Ireland went close again when Naumov pushed awayWhyte’s scuffed volley.
Evans tested Naumov with a header before on came Niall McGinn, the hero of Sarajevo.
He went close when he hit a shot on the turn just wide. NORTHERN IRELAND (3-5-2): Peacock-Farrell 6; Ballard 6, J Evans 7, Cathcart 6; Dallas 7, Davis 7, McNair 7, Saville 6 (Smith 74, 6), Lewis 6; Magennis 7 (Lafferty 82), Whyte 6 (McGinn 64, 6). BULGARIA (3-5-2): Naumov 6; A Hristov 6, Antov 6, Chochev 6; P Hristov 5, Despodov 6, Kostadinov 6 (Vitanov 43, 5), Vutov 5 (D Iliev 46, 5), Tsvetanov 5; Yomov 5, Galabinov 5.