DUO SPARK GREEN PARTY
Strike pair Ward and Washington seal victory and put O’Neill’s side in dreamland
JAMIE WARD and Conor Washington hardly figure in many fantasy leagues – but they put Northern Ireland in dreamland last night.
The unfashionable duo both scored to continue the fairytale run under boss Michael O’Neill and maintain their push for the 2018 World Cup.
Ward went for a Burton earlier this season when Nottingham Forest sent him on loan to Nigel Clough’s side. He is now back at Forest and he netted after just 90 seconds to record Northern Ireland’s fastest goal in 11 years.
QPR’s Washington also comes alive in the green shirt and he bagged the second – making it three goals from his three starts at Windsor Park.
The stadium was bouncing at the pair’s goalscoring heroics which justified O’Neill’s decision to go with them up front instead of cult hero Kyle Lafferty, who remains in the wilderness at Norwich.
Every single Northern Ireland player showed the desire demanded by O’Neill and he will be delighted by yet another fine team display.
Steven Davis showed his class in midfield, while Gareth McAuley battled
Jarstein’s legs. Norway’s first game under Lagerback did not go to plan.
There was no magic dust left over from Iceland and instead Gustav Valsvik almost headed into his own net as their hapless defence creaked under Irish pressure.
Washington fancied a second and he had a shot deflected wide for a corner.
Lagerback threw on Hull’s Adama Diomande to try and find a way back into the game and the frontman had a header comfortably stopped by McGovern.
The Norwich keeper made his best save keeping out Nordtveit’s free-kick which finally killed off Norway’s resistance.
For Norway, the road to Russia ends here in Belfast, while Northern Ireland march on. Northern Ireland’s central defensive trio of Cathcart, McAuley and Jonny Evans love nothing better than heading the ball. Norway threatened and Bournemouth’s Josh King tested keeper Michael McGovern, before they hit the bar through Soderlund. But O’Neill’s men took full advantage of this let-off to double their lead on 32 minutes. Skipper Davis slipped a beautiful ball through to striker Washington (celebrating his goal, left) to spring the offside trap and coolly slot between Rune about his side’s chances and his players answered his battle cry almost straight away when Ward fired them in front with his fourth international goal.
Ward initially miscontrolled Chris Brunt’s ball as he tried to go on the outside, but he switched to the inside, beat defender Even Hovland and shot right-footed inside the far post to score.
Norway were direct and West Ham’s Havard Nordtveit targeted the Irish box with his long throws, a trademark of Lagerback’s teams. But on gamely, after being cynically fouled early on by Norway’s Alexander Soderlund, but this Irish team is all about the collective rather than the individual. That is why players like Ward and Washington – who could be considered journeymen – can rise to the occasion be part of a stirring display like this. Northern Ireland were boosted by the return of Craig Cathcart and the Watford defender made his first appearance of the campaign after recovering from groin and hernia problems. Lars Lagerback took charge of Norway for the first time since being appointed at start of last month and O’Neill was the mindful of the Swede’s historic success in leading Iceland to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals. But O’Neill was bullish