Mcginn mistake punished as Northern Ireland slip to defeat
NORTHERN IRELAND
HUNGARY Sallai 55
0
1
Hungary capitalised on a mistake from Niall Mcginn to edge out Northern Ireland 1-0.
Dundee winger Mcginn undersold Bailey Peacock-farrell with a back-pass, allowing Roland sal la ito nip in and score with 55 minutes gone.
Up until that point, the hosts had looked the more dangerous side with captain Steven Davi s hitting the post and Mcginn himself going close, but they could not find a response as Hungary goalkeeper Denes Dibusz made a flurry of saves in a frantic finish.
Even so, this was arguably a better performance than the one that brought a 3-1 victory over Luxembourg on Friday.
Davis almost scored w ith 11 minutes gone when he latched on to a mis-placed pass from Zsolt Nagy and bent a shot onto the outside of the far post.
Hungary again had more of the ball, but Peacock-farrell had little to do in the first half.
S all a is en tones hot harmlessly wide from a tight angle, then fired straight at the ’keeper.
Instead it was the hosts who again went close before the break. Josh Magennis' flick-on found gavin why te who in turn lifted the ball over to Mcginn, but the 34-year-old saw his bouncing shot pushed narrowly around the post by Dibusz.
D ion charles replaced ma gen ni sat the break and within 45 seconds of the restart was baring down on goal, but was told to get up after tumbling under the slightest of touches.
But the mood inside Windsor Park changed when Mcginn’s mistake allowed a largely subdued Hungary to take the lead with a goal their play scarcely deserved.
Davis, still feeling hi swayback from injuries which have hampered his season with Rangers, was replaced on the hour, amid a spate of substitutions.
A flurry of late changes inspired Northern Ireland to victory in Luxembourg and almost produced a leveller here in a pulsating final few minutes – only for Dibusz to make a string of fine saves.
First he got down to deny Georges aville,t hen he stopped Denver Hume at the far post.
As the game moved into stoppage time, he made a double save to keep out efforts from S hay ne la very and charles and preserve Hungary's win.