BARA OFFERS NO EXCUSES

DOWN & OUT Jordan Jones is fouled by Stefan Ilsanker

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top of in the opening period. We put more pressure on them in the second half. But we can’t afford to start games the way we did and expect to win, whether it is home or away.

“I was asking players to go to the well again and dig deep and maybe Thursday night – 120 minutes plus penalties – did have an impact.

“It was physical sical and emotional l in Bosnia but we don’t want to put that up as an excuse.

We need to be more competitive. We can’t come in after 45 minutes and speak about being more aggressive. That needs to be there from the start.”

Rangers winger Jordan Jones, who was handed a start after a lively cameo off the bench in Bosnia, offered just as frank a summation: “We didn’t perform. We were a lot better in the second half tonight but we can’t have any excuses.

“We were too far off it in the first half, we didn’t press them enough and we were one or two yards off it. The message was to press with more intent, try and get them on the back foot and I think we did more of that in the second half but not enough to get an equaliser.”

Northern Ireland’s best opportunity on the night came from substitute Liam Boyce who was inches away from firingfir home a late equaliser equ in added time ti (left).

Latching onto a Jordan Thompson freekick k down the side, the penalty hero her of Sarajevo fizzed his rising shot agonisingly wide.

“Liam did well to get on the end of it and it was a good strike but unfortunately not on target,” said Jones.

Next up for Northern Ireland is a Nations League trip to Norway, who beat Romania 4-0 in Oslo yesterday, on Wednesday night.

Goalkeeper Michael Mcgovern said: “Norway will be another difficult game and I see Mr Haaland scored another hat-trickt. But we’ll be prepared and ready.”