Magennis grabs late strike for N. Ireland
BELFAST: Josh Magennis snatched a late winner at Windsor Park to send Northern Ireland top of Group C ahead of Germany and Holland.
The Bolton striker put his problems at the crisis-hit Championship club aside by converting a low cross from Paddy McNair in the 87th minute after coming on as a substitute.
Victories in two key home games against Estonia and Belarus mean Michael O’Neill’s side face the same opponents away in June with a fighting chance of challenging the two European heavyweights Germany and Holland for automatic qualification.
Northern Ireland were the superior side throughout but it took them 20 minutes to force a save from Andrei Klimovich who blocked McNair’s swerving drive after the Middlesbrough man had spun away from Stanislav Dragun.
The opening goal arrived on the half hour mark after Klimovich had palmed away Kyle Lafferty’s awkward 25-yard effort for a corner. Niall McGinn crossed to the near post for Steven Davis to flick on and the ball reached Jonny Evans who had enough time to guide an excellent header into the bottom corner.
It looked like being the platform for another straightforward Northern Ireland win but Belarus silenced Windsor Park three minutes later when former Arsenal midfielder Alexandr Hleb fed Igor Stasevich on the left and his hopeful 20-yard shot took a heavy deflection off Stuart Dallas and looped over stranded Leeds keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
Northern Ireland pressed for a winner in the second half but Mikhail Sivaokov got a brilliant block on McNair’s piledriver and also got in the way of George Saville’s effort.
O’Neill had already sent on Magennis for McGinn in an attempt to break the deadlock, no doubt mindful that he had looked lively when he came on against Estonia.
And it was Magennis who struck less than two minutes from the end of normal time, starting the move and then getting on the end of McNair’s cross after Dallas had passed to his teammate on the overlap.
There was still a scare for Northern Ireland deep into four minutes of added time but Peacock-Farrell pulled off a fine save form substitute Pavel Nekhaychik to preserve the win.