O’Neill’s men virtually certain of play-offs following triumph
NORTHERN IRELAND have guaranteed second spot in Group C with a 2-0 win over Czech Republic that means they are virtually assured of a November play-off to get to the World Cup finals in Russia.
A point would have been enough to ensure they would finish as runners-up, but firsthalf goals from Jonny Evans and Chris Brunt gave them a victory which means they will almost certainly be one of the eight-best second placed teams in the playoffs. Moreover, having claimed 19 points from a possible 24 so far, they could still catch world champions Germany and win the group, despite the Germans having won every one of their eight qualifiers to date.
Winning the group is unlikely to be at the forefront of O’Neill’s mind ahead of Die Mannschaft’s visit to Belfast in October, but their haul, which is better than Group A leaders France’s total after eight games.
This was their fifth successive victory – a new national record – and a seventh clean sheet in eight qualifiers, with goalkeeper Michael McGovern also passing the 10-hour mark without conceding.
They took the lead on 28 minutes when Chris Brunt’s corner was initially headed out, Oliver Norwood guided it back in from the edge of the box and Theodor Gebre Selassie was too slow getting out, leaving an unmarked and onside Jonny Evans to flick beyond Tomas Vaclik. Evans’s brother Corry was involved in the second as he who carried the ball to 25 yards out from the visitors’ goal before drawing Filip Novak into a foul.
Both Norwood and Brunt stood over the set-piece but it always looked like it would favour a left footer, and so it proved as the latter stepped up and whipped a brilliant attempt up and over the wall into the goal.