PREDATOR ARNIE PUNISHES O’NEILL
NORTHERN Ireland knew all about Marko Arnautovic but it counted for very little as the West Ham talisman fired Austria to victory in Vienna.
Arnautovic, captaining his country for the night, struck in the 71st minute and celebrated by angrily waving his armband in the air in response to those who had questioned his suitability for the job.
It was his fourth goal in seven games for Austria — the same record he has for West Ham this season — and it left Northern Ireland with no points from two Nations League games going into Monday’s clash with leaders Bosnia in Sarajevo.
They were in trouble from the moment a pass was played into the left channel and Arnautovic, played just onside by Jamal Lewis on the opposite flank, got the wrong side of Paddy McNair. The 29-year- old took one touch as he closed in on goal and then lifted his shot over the outstretched leg of Leeds goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
‘We knew the threat of Arnautovic,’ said manager Michael O’Neill. ‘You can tell he’s a talismanic player for the Austrian team. He’s got real quality and he showed it in that moment. He waited and it was a cool finish.’
Arnautovic had the big chance of the first half at a half-empty Ernst Happel Stadion when he fired a free-kick into the wall after Peacock-Farrell had inexplicably picked up a back-pass from Jonny Evans.
However, the keeper redeemed himself with fine saves from the Austria skipper and Marcel Sabitzer early in the second half. Northern Ireland lacked fluency going forward, but were more positive in the second half. Steven Davis dragged a shot wide when clean through on goal and then substitute Will Grigg was agonisingly close to an equaliser in the 84th minute when his header from a corner came back off the inside of the far post and bounced into the hands of goalkeeper Heinz Lindner.
Northern Ireland remain bottom of Group B3, but O’Neill added: ‘If we’re relegated it’s not a national disaster. We’ll deal with it.’
AUSTRIA (4-4-2): Lindner 6; Lianer 6, Prodl 7, Hinteregger 6.5, Ulmer 6; Lazaro 7.5 (Dragovic 90min), Ilsanker 6, Zulj 5.5, Sabitzer 6.5 (Schopf 75); Arnautovic 7, Burgstaller 6 (Kainz 83). Scorer: Arnautovic 71. Booked: None.
N IRELAND (4-3-3): ): Peacock-Farrell 6; McNair 6.5, Cathcart 6.5, J Evans 7, Lewis 6.5; Norwood 6, Davis 6, Saville 5.5 (Vassell 77, 6); Ferguson 5.5 (C Evans 56, 6), Magennis 5 (Grigg 79, 6.5), Dallas 6. Booked: Peacock-Farrell. Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria) 5.
Attendance: 22,300.