Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FIRST CLASS, SECOND BEST
Unbelievable opening half puts O’neill’s men in driving seat but they have to cling on for win after the break
LET’S hope Ronald Koeman watched last night’s breathless win in Prague on a stream. Northern Ireland terrible to watch? Not on this evidence.
Michael O’neill’s men sparkled as they ended a 13year wait for an away friendly win with a pulsating display against the Czech Republic at the Generali Arena.
The tireless Paddy Mcnair bagged a brace and Jonny Evans (left) was also on target before the Czechs hit back with second half goals from Vladimir Darida and Alex Kral. This was a vibrant performance, particularly in the first half, and a result to exorcise the painful memory of last week’s Euro 2020 defeat to the Netherlands in Rotterdam.
It also delivered a first away friendly win since 2006 when goals from David Healy and a teenage Kyle Lafferty secured a 2-1 victory over Finland in Helsinki.
4,808 days and 22 games later Northern Ireland were registering a W beside an away international friendly fixture for the first time.
Granted, it was nervy at times in the second period but O’neill (inset) will be delighted to get back to winning ways at such a challenging away venue. The Czechs, with four wins in their previous five games, made 10 changes from Friday’s impressive 2-1 Euro 2020 qualifying triumph over England and it showed in the first half.
Northern Ireland’s fluid 3-5-2 formation, with Liam Boyce and Gavin Whyte up top, caused the home side all sorts of problems early doors.
It was 1-0 in the ninth minute when Mcnair latched on to a low Boyce cross to take a touch before drilling a low shot beyond Jiri Pavlenka.
The Czechs were all at sea and almost paid a heavy price, not once but twice, for persisting with playing out from the back. Boyce saw a 50/50 effort with the keeper fizz wide before Stuart Dallas almost steered a blind pass from Lukas Kalvach into the net with the keeper out of position.
A second did arrive on 23 minutes when Leicester City defender Evans pounced for his fourth international goal from a Mcnair corner. Craig Cathcart helped the ball on, Tom Flanagan’s close-range effort was blocked and the ball squirmed into Evans’ path to force home from four yards out. Remarkably, it was almost
three when the lively Whyte met a Jordan Thompson cross but the Cardiff City forward’s closerange volley was parried by Pavlenka.
It was 3-0 five minutes before the break when Mcnair raced on to a superb through ball from captain Steven Davis to fire home his second of the night.
The Middlesbrough man outpaced the floundering Josef Husbauer and kept a cool head to round Pavlenka and steer his shot into the empty net.
For the first time since beating Malta 3-0 in a friendly in Ta Qali in 2000, Northern Ireland had scored three goals in an away international. Breathless stuff. The Czechs made a raft of changes at the break and almost pulled one back when Ladislav Krejki’s low curler forced a palmed save by Michael Mcgovern low to his right.
The fightback began with two goals in two minutes from substitute Darida and influential Spartak Moscow midfielder Kral.
Zdenek Ondrasek, who scored Friday night’s winner against the English, teed up Darida who arrowed his rising 67th minute shot into the roof of the net.
The Czechs had real hope just a minute later when Kral raced inside the area, evaded a challenge and steered a low shot into the bottom corner. O’neill was buckling himself in for a nervy final 20 minutes as Hertha Berlin’s Darida, a half-tim e replacement for Kalvach, was starting to pull strings.
The Czechs had the ball in the net in the second minute of added time from a Darida corner but referee Ivan Kruzliak blew instantly for a foul on Mcgovern.
Northern Ireland would hold out for a memorable win in Prague.