Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
WE HALF A DREAM
Part two of campaign must be as good as first
STEVEN DAVIS is determined to capitalise on one of Northern Ireland’s best ever starts to a World Cup campaign with crucial victory in Baku. A win at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium would bolster the grip on second spot in Group C and boost hopes of securing a play-off route to Russia. Statistically, three wins and a draw from the opening five pool games represents one of the country’s most commanding starts to a World Cup qualifying group. Not even Billy Bingham (left) and his legendary teams of the 1980s enjoyed such a buoyant start in their quest to reach the World Cup finals of 1982 and 1986. Different times of course but Davis is eager to build on what has gone before and continue fuelling momentum heading into the business end of the group. “It’s a big incentive,” admitted the Southampton midfielder. “We understand the significance of a win and what three points would give us in terms of the group. “A win would strengthen second position in the pool for us and that’s the immediate carrot for us in terms of this fixture. “It’ll be tough because Azerbaijan are a technical team, play it out from the back and they are good on the ball but we believe we have the quality to come here and get a result.” O’neill has left no stone unturned in his preparations for tonight’s showdown, where temperatures are set to hit 25C despite an 8pm kick-off. An intense training camp in Manchester preceded last Friday’s 1-0 friendly win over New Zealand in Belfast, while a four-day stay in Turkey earlier this week was also beneficial. Davis – who is likely to line up in the midfield engine room alongside Chris Brunt and Oliver Norwood – admitted: “It’s probably the toughest game we could have at this time of year in terms of the conditions. “The heat will be a factor but that’s why we spent a few days in Turkey before coming here. We’ve had some tough sessions so we’ll be well prepared for the test. “The conditions in Turkey were perfect and it was ideal preparation for this game. We got a lot of good work done in training and it was very positive.” Davis is confident Northern Ireland – who are missing regulars Craig Cathcart, Jamie Ward and Conor Washington – can cope with a stretched squad. Incredibly, eight outfield players who travelled to last summer’s Euro 2016 finals – a list that also includes Sunderland midfielder Paddy Mcnair and Wigan Athletic striker Will Grigg – are unavailable to O’neill this evening. Davis said: “The squad is a lot stronger compared to where it was a few years ago. It’s also a lot more experienced. It’s a great opportunity for other players. “Anyone who comes into the team is capable of stepping up to it and they all know the significance of the game.” While O’neill is missing several key names, he hopes to be boosted by the return of influential defender Gareth Mcauley. The West Bromwich Albion star hasn’t played a competitive game since early-may after aggravating a knee problem but could feature this evening. Mcauley, who scored in November’s 4-0 win over the Azeri in November, joined up with the squad following the New Zealand friendly and trained yesterday. The centre-back’s availability would allow O’neill operate either a 4-5-1 or 3-5-2 formation with Charlton’s Josh Magennis and in-form Ross County striker Liam Boyce both poised to start.