Nations League: Early goals see Northern Ireland to easy win

Early goals from Paddy McNair and Daniel Ballard saw Northern Ireland ease to a rather comfortable opening Nations League victory at home to Luxembourg.

With both strikes coming in the first 16 minutes at Windsor Park, it looked as if Michael O'Neill's men would go on and win more handsomely than they did.

They failed to do, but two goal, a clean sheet and most importantly, all three points, it's still a perfect day at the office.

O’Neill opted to go with a back three of McNair, Ciaron Brown and Ballard, with Conor Bradley and captain Trai Hume as wing-backs, Shea Charles and George Saville in midfield and an adventurous front three of Dion Charles, Callum Marshall and Isaac Price.

Northern Ireland set the tone from the very first whistle and had their first chance of the match inside two minutes. Marshall got on the end of Shea Charles' corner from the left, but he just couldn’t get enough power on the ball to direct it past the keeper.

Then on seven minutes, Dion Charles really should have put Northern Ireland into the lead.

After the visitors failed to clear a Saville free-kick, Charles volleyed into the ground and over the bar from 10 yards when he would have expected to find the back of the net.

However, it didn’t take much longer for the opening goal to arrive, from one of the more unlikely sources.

Brown launched a long throw from the right into the box, that allowed Ballard to nod it back to the penalty spot and McNair cooly slotted a half volley with the outside of his right foot through a crowded penalty area and into the bottom corner.

That was in the 11th minute and the second goal came just five minutes later, with Ballard this time going from provider to scorer.

After Bradley had been tripped on the edge of the area on the right, Saville drove in a low free-kick to the near post, and Ballard came steaming in to redirect it past Luxembourg keeper Anthony Moris to make it 2-0.

It was a blistering start from O’Neill’s side and – almost as expected – they seemed to take their foot off the accelerator, while still being in total control of the game.

Their next opportunities on goal didn’t come until the final minute of normal time at the end of the half.

Another powerful run from the right flank by Bradley saw the Liverpool man weave his way past two challenges before opting to shoot with his left foot, only to see it deflect off a defender for a corner. From that corner, the ball eventually fell to Hume, who curled just wide from 25 yards.

Inside the first two minutes of the second period, they looked to put the result completely beyond doubt.

Firstly, Isaac Price volleyed wide from 18 yards, before Hume hooked his own volley wide from the edge of the box.

Having already brought on Josh Magennis for the injured Dion Charles at the interval, O’Neill made another change shortly before the hour mark, with Jamal Lewis – fresh from his move to Sao Paulo in Brazil – coming on to replace Marshall.

That saw him slot in a left wing-back, with Hume switching to the right, meaning Bradley pushed up into a more advanced role as part of that front three.

It almost paid dividends quickly, as midway through the half, the home side really should have gone three goals to the good.

Bradley beat the offside trap to bear down on goal but, from a tight angle on the right, he could only pull his shot wide.

Sub Ross McCausland almost got the third in stoppage time, cutting into the box, only to see his shot pushed out for a corner by Moris, before the Rangers winger was again denied by the keeper seconds later.

Apart from those late opportunities, Northern Ireland never truly looked like adding to their tally, despite their best efforts.

That might be the one negative aspect for O'Neill, that his side didn't go on and plunder more goals.

But it's still a positive start - a home win and a clean sheet and now it's onto Bulgaria in Plovdiv as they bid to make it two wins from two.

MATCH STATS

Northern Ireland: Peacock-Farrell, Ballard (Smyth 82), McNair, Brown, Hume (C), Bradley, Saville, S Charles (McCann 82), D Charles (Magennis H-T), Marshall (Lewis 57), Price (McCausland 74)

Subs not used: Southwood (GK), Clarke (GK), Lavery, Smyth, C Evans, Lyons, Johnston, Galbraith

Luxembourg: Moris, Mahmutovic (Pinto H-T), Gerson, Carlson, Martins, Barreiro, Bohnert, Jans (C) (Dzogovic 74), Olesen (Thill 84), Rodrigues (Muratovic 84), Veiga (Andrade Brites 74)

Subs not used: Schon (GK), Pereira (GK), Ikene, D’Anzico, Videira, Rupil, Lohei

Referee: Marian Barbu (Romania)