Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
YELLOW SUB SUPREME
Luckless Baraclough’s hopes sunk by replacement Bicfalvi
AT this rate it will take Indiana Jones and a supporting cast of explorers and archaeologists to unearth a Nations League win for Northern Ireland.
Just as Ian Baraclough’s men looked poised to end a dispiriting 2020 with a first ever victory in the competition, Romania detonated the feelgood narrative with a late leveller.
Liam Boyce thought he had won it when he forced home a teasing Michael Smith cross from a Paddy Mcnair corner 11 minutes into the second half.
But with time running out Florin Tanase was gifted the freedom of the penalty area to tee up Romanian substitute Eric Bicfalvi to find the bottom corner.
The phrase ‘ sickening sucker punch’ wouldn’t cover it.
That’s now no wins in 10 Nations League games across two editions dating back to the competition’s inception in 2018.
It also means Northern Ireland have gone an agonising 14 months since celebrating a victory at Windsor Park, a 1-0 friendly win over Luxembourg in September 2019.
Baraclough and his players knew prior to kick-off that they had been relegated to League C of the Nations League and for long periods last night’s game screamed ‘dead rubber’.
Baraclough went with the same 3-5-2 formation that impressed in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat in Austria with Jonny Evans captaining the side in the absence of Steven Davis.
The impressive Michael Smith was handed another start as a holding midfielder and once again the versatile Hearts man enhanced his reputation in front of a back three.
It’s hard to see how the 32-year-old, an unruffled presence who keeps the ball , isn’t at the forefront of Baraclough’s thoughts ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in March.
St Jo h n st o n e mi d f i e l d e r Al i Mccann, still just 20 and winning only his second cap, is also a real positive for the manager heading into 2021.
Positives don’t get you results, however, and in a forgettable opening period, chances and talking points came at a premium.
Smith almost got on the end of a Mcnair cross, while Boyce volleyed a well worked Paddy Mcnair corner into the Railway End on the half-hour mark.
Boyce also got on the end of a cross by debut boy Matty Kennedy but his close ranger header was deflected out for a corner.
At the other end Bailey PeacockFarrell , returned to the starting
line-up after missing out in Vienna, was at risk of hypothermia as Romania created little of note.
The Burnley keeper sprawled low to his left to smother a Dennis Man shot, while the alert Smith also threw his body in the way of a Tanase shot before the break.
Northern Ireland bossed the start of the second period and were ahead in the 56th minute thanks to Boyce’s second international goal from a well worked corner.
Mcnair fizzed a low delivery into the path of Smith and the Hearts midfielder swept a delicious ball to the far post where clubmate Boyce arrived to bundle the ball home.
What part of his anatomy forced it home? Who cares, it went in.
The lively Mccann was then inches away from a first international goal when he met an inviting Kennedy cross but his first time shot arrowed narrowly wide. Romania went on the hunt for an equaliser and Cagliari midfielder Razvan Marin saw a vicious dipper from distance tipped over the bar by Peacock-farrell.
A special cheer went up in the 79th minute when Manchester United t eena ger Ethan Gal braith was introduced for his second cap as a replacement for Smith.
But loud groans followed two minutes later as Romania carved open the home defence for their equaliser, Tanase teeing up substitute Bicfalvi to fire a low shot into the bottom corner.
Baraclough, still seeking his first home win as national boss, will wonder how Tanase was allowed to wander into the penalty area with such ease.
A head scratching finale to another night of frustration in the Nations League.