Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
THAT’S A SETBAK
Greek skipper’s goal ensures Northern Ireland’s terrible UEFA Nations League record extends to 11 winless games
DARREN FULLERTON ONE suspects the great Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle would have struggled to process Northern Ireland’s dispiriting Nations League record.
It’s a fair bet Pythagoras would have been left scratching his head at such a lengthy wait for a first win in the competition.
Last night’s 1-0 defeat to Greece made it 11 games without a victory across three editions of the Nations League dating back to 2018.
The visitors, managed by former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet, won it with a clinical finish from skipper Tasos Bakasetas in the 39th minute.
And despite a more spirited showing in the second period, Ian Baraclough has much to ponder ahead of Sunday’s trip to Cyprus.
A defeat in the opening fixture of the new Group C2 campaign wasn’t part of the plan for this month’s quadruple header. For too long, particularly in the first half, this was a disjointed performance and it was revealing that Northern Ireland’s better displays came from defenders Paddy Mcnair and Daniel Ballard.
Greece were warming to their task long before Trabzonspor star Bakasetas opened the scoring before the break. In football parlance, it had been coming.
Dmitris Limnios skipped past Paddy Lane and scampered forward before dragging a square ball into the path of the Greek skipper.
Bakasetas made his sixth international goal look easy, taking a touch before drilling a low shot past Bailey Peacock-farrell.
It could – and perhaps should – have been two on the brink of half time when Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas broke after dispossessing club team-mate Conor Bradley.
The ball eventually found its way to Lazaros Rota inside the penalty area but the AEK Athens wing-back blazed his angled shot into the Kop.
The half-time stats told their own story with Greece, who lie one place below Northern Ireland in the FIFA rankings, boasting 66% possession.
“I think Greece will be amazed at how easy it has been for them,” was Premier Sports pundit Stephen Craigan’s stark analysis at the midway point.
“Northern Ireland have been passive at times, they have been easy to play against and this home crowd will have expected a little more from them.”
Northern Ireland’s only effort of note in the opening period came when George Saville teed up Gavin Whyte who skipped inside and tested Odysseas Vlachodimos with a low shot.
At the other end the lively Giorgos Giakoumakis, who scored 17 goals in 29 games for Celtic last season, went close to his second international goal. A cross arrowed its way to the back post and Giakoumakis ghosted between Bradley and Mcnair only to direct his header straight at Peacock-farrell.
The same forward was also inches away from making 2-0 after the break when Limnios fizzed a low cross across the six yard box but he failed to get a touch three yards out.
Baraclough sprang Niall Mcginn and inform Kilmarnock striker Kyle Lafferty from the bench on the hour mark as he chased a response.
And the two substitutes went close in the latter stages, Mcginn forcing a sprawling save from Vlachodimos and Lafferty sweeping a late free kick over the bar.
Baraclough handed Shea Charles his debut as a replacement for George Saville and the Manchester City teenager produced an impressive 15-minute cameo.
A memorable moment for the 18-year-old on what was another frustrating night in the Nations League for Northern Ireland.
Substitute Niall Mcginn admitted: ”It was frustrating we couldn’t get the goal. There weren’t many chances and you just hoped if you got one then you’d put it away.
“The good thing is we have three more games coming up so we have to dust ourselves down and go again.”
One of the positives was the senior debut of Charles and more action for Liverpool teen Bradley.
Mcginn added: “You saw young Shea come on and make his debut. It is a big learning curve for them but there are a lot of experienced boys here who play at a high level such as Jonny Evans and Steven Davis so they are learning off the best.
“We have to bring them along and make sure they take their opportunities.”