Euro Play-Off: Northern Ireland swept aside by classy Norway

Northern Ireland's chances of wualifying for a second successive Euros are all but over after they comfortably swept aside by a classy Norway outfit at Inver Park tonight.

This was always going to be a task of the toughest degree for Tanya Oxtoby's side and so it proved.

The visitors needed just seven minutes to take lead after a concerted period of pressure. The ball was played across the six-yard box and captain Caroline Graham Hansen sidefooted home.

The class and movement of Emma Grainger’s side was a class above that of the home side throughout as they fully made sure the 34 places difference in the World Rankings was obvious.

They doubled their lead just before the quarter hour mark, but this time the Northern Ireland defence made their own difficulties.

They failed to clear a corner properly and when the ball fell to Tuva Hansen, the defender drilled a low shot through a crowd of players from 25 yards and past a helpless Jackie Burns in the home goal.

The third duly arrived on 26 minutes as Caroline Hansen doubled her own personal tally. The Barcelona attacker was allowed far too much time and space wide on the left to drift into the box with the ball. She took her time, drew Burns out and then placed the ball though the keeper’s leg and into the back of the net to make it 3-0.

At that juncture, it felt like Northern Ireland could be in for a real hiding but, in fairness to them, they managed to keep the marauding visitors out for the remainder of the first half to go in at the interval just three down, when it could have been much worse.

Chloe McCarron was introduced at the break in place of Daniell Maxwell as Oxtoby went for a more conservative approach and it paid some dividends as Northern Ireland limited Norway to half chances for the bulk of the second period.

However, they did get their fourth midway through the half, but it was as much given to them by the host as it was their own making.

Burns failed to hold a corner from the right and when the ball fell to Guro Bergsvand inside the six-yard box, she managed to scramble it in to make it four.

Thatv was the way it finished, despite a much-improved second half display from the home side.

Tanya Oxtoby's side now face a mountain to climb in Oslo on Tuesday - a mountain that it like to prove impossible to scale.

MATCH STATS

Northern Ireland: Burns, Dugdale, Johnson, Holloway, McKenna, McPartlan, Rafferty, Andrews (Halliday 62), Maxwell (McCarron H-T), Magill (C), Wade (Bell 83)

Subs not used: Norney (GK),Schofield, Burrows, Mason, McDaniel, Wilson, Beattie, McLaren

Norway: Fiskerstrand, T Hansen (Lund 62), Bergsvand, Engen, Risa (Kielland 76), Saevik (Hegerberg 62), C Hansen (C), Reiten (Ildhusoy 76), Woldvik, Harviken, Maanum

Subs not used: Panengstuen, Mikalsen (GK), Ostenstad, Mjelde, Jensen, Tvedten, Joramo, Tandeberg

Referee: Ivana Martincic (Croatia)