Nations League: Disappointing Northern Ireland fall to opening defeat
Northern Ireland 0 Greece 1
Northern Ireland fell to a disappointing defeat at home to Greece at Windsor Park – with a performance that will leave Ian Baraclough with plenty to ponder ahead of three more games in the next 10 days.
While the second half display was a marked improvement on the first, that’s all relative. It would be hard to argue that the opening 45 minutes were the poorest in Baraclough’s tenure.
But, there are positives to be taken.
After the interval, they did improve and looked the better team, but in truth, they failed to overly trouble a well-oiled Greek defence, amongst a team who knew their roles having been well-drilled by their manager - former Chelsea and Spurs midfielder Gus Poyet.
A sluggish start to the match from Baraclough’s side only led to even more pedestrian football in the opening 45 minutes.
By contrast, the more the first period wore on, the more Greece took control of proceedings. They were able to find acres of space, particularly in midfield. They also exploited the space in between the wing-backs Paddy Lane and Conor Bradley and Northern Ireland’s three central defenders of Daniel Ballard, Jonny Evans and Paddy McNair.
The first shot in anger arrived after 18 minutes and it came from the home side. Gavin Whyte collected George Saville's ball from the right, before producing a neat spin on the edge of the box, but his low left-foot effort was comfortably held by Greek keeper Odisseas Vlachodimos.
That was essentially as good as it got for Northern Ireland in the first half and Gus Poyet’s visitors gradually began to assert their authority all over the pitch.
They had their first chance midway through the half when Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis got on the end of a deep cross from the right. However, his header from close range was straight into the welcoming arms of Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
It was a tepid affair in terms of free-flowing football, with chances few and far between, but Greece deservedly broke the deadlock six minutes before the interval - and you can't say it hadn't been coming.
They against found space in the Northern Ireland half where Dimitris Limnios teed up Tasos Bakasetas and the captain – completely unchallenged – had time to pick his spot. That he did, as his low drive found the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Greece really should have doubled their advantage less than seven minutes after the restart.
Limnios was the architect once again as his superb low centre from the right flew across the edge of Northern Ireland’s six-yard box. Giakoumakis was flying towards it, but he somehow failed to get a touch on it with the goal at his mercy.
However, that seemed to lift Northern Ireland somewhat, as they enjoyed a spell of pressure they hadn’t previously been allowed up to that point in the game. While little clear-cut was created in the opening 20 minutes of the half, they gradually began to push up the pitch
The introduction of Kyle Lafferty on his return to the international fold just after the hour mark, drew a huge roar from the Northern Ireland support and the Kilmarnock striker almost showed his worth six minutes in.
His knockdown was turned towards fellow sub Niall McGinn 15 yards out by George Saville. But McGinn's first-time effort was fired straight at the keeper.
Lafferty’s dream return almost arrived five minutes from the end of normal time. He wouldn’t be the first person you’d bank on to take free-kicks within sight of goal. But his effort whistled just over the crossbar as Northern Ireland pushed for a leveller.
And despite five minutes of time added on, the hosts couldn’t force another clear-cut chance as their Nations League campaign began with defeat.
MATCH STATS
Northern Ireland: Peacock-Farrell, Bradley (McGinn 61), Lane (Hume 78), Evans, Ballard, Davis, McNair, Saville (S Charles 78), A McCann, Lavery (Lafferty 61), Whyte (D Charles 70)
Subs not used: Southwood (GK), Carson (GK), McCalmont, McMenamin, Donnelly, C McCann, Brown
Greece: Vlachodimos, Rota (Baldock 90), Tsimikas, Mavropanos, Hatzidiakos, Siopis (Tzavellas 82), Bakasetas (Kourbelis 68), Bouchalakis, Limnios (Pavlidis 68), Giakoumakis (Chatzigiovanis 68), Mantalos
Subs not used: Paschalakis (GK), Athanasiadis (GK), Alexandropoulos, Douvikas, Tzolis, Papanikolaou, Giannoulis
Referee: Erik Lambrechts (Belgium)
Attendance: 16,977