Football: Northern Ireland have to settle for a draw after Price stunner

Northern Ireland began their 2025 campaign with a more than creditable draw at home to Switzerland.

Isaac Price was once again the man with the goals for Michael O'Neill's side, cracking in a brilliant opener before Vincent Sierro deservedly equalised before the half hour for the visitors.

Price and the excellent Ethan Galbraith went close to winning it in the second half for the hosts, who gave debuts to Jamie Donley and Terry Devlin, though Ronan Hale was an unused sub at Windsor Park.

O’Neill gave Lee Bonis his first start up front, while Ethan Galbraith came into midfield as Pierce Charles kept his place in goal.

New faces Terry Devlin, Ronan Hale and Jamie Donley began on the bench as the visitors made a host of changes to their starting line-up for the fixture.

However, Manager Murat Yakin still had some big names in his line up, with Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, Monaco duo Breel Embolo and Denis Zakaria and the vastly-experienced Ricardo Rodriguez in the starting XI.

Price’s stunning striker opening the scoring just after the quarter of an hour mark.

Bonis used his physical presence up top to force Stefan Gartenmann into conceding a foul just outside the penalty area left of centre.

O’Neill had talked in the build-up to the match about wanting his side to be better with attacking set-pieces, but this probably wasn’t what he meant as the free-kick was teed up for Price to whip a vicious effort into the top right hand corner past a helpless Kobel – the same corner and almost the same exact spot where the now West Bromwich Albion man completed his brilliant hat-trick against Bulgaria last year.

However, the away side took less than 12 minutes to get back on level terms - with a goal that was far too easy from a Northern Ireland point of view

Ricardo Rodriguez whipped in a dangerous corner from the left and Vincent Sierro was left unmarked to head home from 10 yards.

From that point on until the break, the Swiss controlled possession without troubling Charles’ goal to any great degree. Indeed, the only real chance before half-time came late on when Bonis dragged his low drive from just outside the box wide of the left post.

Northern Ireland should have regained the lead less than two minutes after the restart and the lively Price will wonder how he didn’t grab his second of the game.

Shea Charles curled in a wicked free-kick delivery from the right, but somehow Price managed to scoop it over the bar from point-blank range when it looked easier to score.

Jamie Donley made his senior Northern Ireland debut just before the hour mark, replacing the hard-working Bonis, while Dale Taylor returned to the senior set-up as he came on for Paul Smyth.

Terry Devlin then became the second player to make his debut on the night, as the former Dungannon Swifts and Glentoran man came on for the last 15 minutes or so for the superb Ethan Galbraith.

Donley almost made an instant impact, forcing Kobel into a smart stop from a glancing header after a corner from the left.

Despite the hosts arguably having the better of the chances in the second half, they had to be alert at the other end to prevent the away side from taking the lead.

Sub Andi Zeqiri rose highest in the box to get on the end of an Alvyn Sanches cross from the right, which Pierce Charles did well to push out for a corner 12 minutes from time.

However, no more goals were forthcoming for either side as they had to settle for a draw - a result that will do no harm to the confidence of this young Northern Ireland squad.

They now move onto Sweden for the second friendly in this window on Tuesday night.

MATCH STATS

Northern Ireland: P Charles, Hume, Spencer, McNair (C), Brown, S Charles, Saville (Devenny 69), Galbraith (Devlin 74), Bonis (Donley 57), Price, Smyth (Taylor 57)

Subs not used: Hazard (GK), Southwood (GK), McConville, Donnelly, Marshall, Lyons, Thompson, Hale, McCausland, Balmer

Switzerland: Kobel, Gartenmann, Rodriguez, Zesiger, Schmidt (Blondel 68), Sierro (Sow 88), Zakaria, Embolo (C) (Monteiro 60), Vargas (Zeqiri 60), Ndoye (Sanches 68), Aebischer (Reider 60)

Subs not used: Mvogo (GK), Loretz (GK), Hajdari, Muheim, Amenda, Comert

Referee: Mohammed Al-Hakim (Sweden)

Attendance: 17,862