EURO 2024: Disappointing night for Northern Ireland on O'Neill's home return

It was an unhappy homecoming for Michael O'Neill in his second stint as Northern Ireland manager as they lost at home to Finland.

Despite plenty of effort and a much-improved second half, O'Neill will be disappointed with his side's display against a well-drilled yet decidedly unflashy visiting outfit.

He made just one change from the win in San Marino, with Jordan Thompson coming into the heart of the midfield in place of George Saville.

Northern Ireland’s first chance of the half arrived after just seven minutes.

Excellent work from Dion Charles down the right saw him force the ball through to Jordan Thompson inside the box. However, the midfielder's cutback just couldn't reach Conor Washington a few yards out and the ball was cleared.

Despite Finland enjoying the bulk of the possession in the early exchanges, it was the home side who looked the most threatening going forward.

They had another opportunity on 21 minutes.

Conor Bradley, who was getting forward at every opportunity from his right wing-back berth, latched onto a clever pass from Paddy McNair. The Bolton man, on-loan from Liverpool, pulled the ball back and into the path of his Wanderers team-mate Dion Charles 12 yards out.

But the striker, who grabbed both goals in the 2-0 win away to San Marino on Thursday, could only fire hit right-foot effort well over the crossbar.

Then just two minutes before the half-hour mark, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock.

After a brief period of pressure, Robin Lod got the better of Jamal Lewis on Finland’s right side to fire the ball across the six-yard box.

Teemu Pukki got a nick on it and that meant Daniel Ballard was unable to clear as the ball fell to Benjamin Kallman to control and finish from close range for his fifth international goal in just his 11th appearance

They almost doubled that lead 10 minutes before the break as ace marksman Teemu Pukki had two chances in a matter of seconds.

The Norwich City forward was first denied by an excellent Craig Cathcart block before Bailey Peacock-Farrell made a smart save to stop the follow up from 10 yards out.

But it was Michael O’Neill’s side who almost drew level just before the break – and probably should have.

Yet again, it was Conor Bradley at the heart of it. He burst forward to slip in Dion Charles one-on-one with Finland keeper Lukas Hradecky. However, the visiting skipper speared himself well to smother Charles’ effort.

The hosts were forced into the first change of the night five minutes into the second half when central defender Daniel Ballard went off injured, with O’Neill opting to bring on striker Josh Magennis in his place.

That meant Paddy McNair dropped in as one of the three centre-backs and instantly, Magennis’ presence gave Northern Ireland much more of an attacking threat

He should have drawn them level on 56 minutes after doing well to win the ball on the left and tee up Lewis.

The Newcastle man whipped in a cross for Bradley to nod down to Magennis 10 yards out, but the big striker could only volley over the bar.

Then came a huge moment of controversy on the hour.

Northern Ireland though they had levelled when, after Finnish goalscorer Kallman had turned a McNair cross just over his own bar, from the resultant corner, Dion Charles scrambled the ball over the line and Windsor Park erupted.

However, Slovakian Referee Ivan Kruzliak blew his whistle for a handball by the goalscorer. Television replays looked to show that was a harsh decision but, even with VAR in the ground, the goal was still ruled out.

Despite seven minutes of stoppage time at the end of the match, Northern Ireland never really looked like levelling.

A disappointing night all round.

MATCH STATS

NORTHERN IRELAND: Peacock-Farrell, Brown, Cathcart (C), Ballard (Magennis 50), Bradley, Lewis, S Charles (Price 79), Thompson (Saville 79), McNair, D Charles, Washington (Whyte 69)

SUBS NOT USED: Hazard (GK), Southwood (GK), Hume, Toal, McGeehan, Ferguson, Kennedy, Taylor

FINLAND: Hradecky (C), Alho (Taylor 86), Jensen (Peltola 51), Vaisanen, Ivanov, Kamara, Lod, Suhonen (Soiri 69), Kallman (Pohjanpalo 86), Pukki (Forss 69), Schuller

SUBS NOT USED: Joronen (GK), Sinisalo (GK), Tenho, F Jensen, Kairinen, Antman, , Pallas

REFEREE: Ivan Kruzliak (Slovakia)

ATTENDANCE: 17, 913