 |
| Gareth McAuley flying the French flag in celebration of making it to France 2016 |
NORTHERN IRELAND reached their first major tournament since 1986 last night to spark wild scenes of celebration around Windsor Park.
Michael O’Neill’s side needed three points to guarantee their spot at Euro 2016 and they duly got it, with a brace from captain Steven Davis and Josh Magennis’s header enough to see off Greece and end 30 years of waiting.
O’Neill was a proud man after leading Northern Ireland to the European Championship for the first time ever. “The players were outstanding. Right through the team, magnificent. It’s a privilege to be their manager,” he said.
 |
| Northern Ireland captain Steven Davis scored twice in the 3-1 victory over Greece |
“The players deserve the ultimate credit. We have confidence and belief that comes from winning games. This shows the potential of this team and of football in Northern Ireland.”
Skipper Davis said: “It has been an unbelievable night and one we will never forget. We showed what we were all about and couldn’t have asked for it to go any better.”
Magennis was also overwhelmed by their achievement. “I honestly can’t put it into words,” he said.
 |
| Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill celebrates with players after booking their Euro 16 spot |
“We may not have the best quality but we never give up. Once you have that fight, you can be a formidable team.”
Knowing a place at the finals in France and their first appearance at a European Championship was in touching distance, Northern Ireland came flying out of the blocks amid a frenzied atmosphere.
It took less than three minutes for the hosts to win a corner, which was fed deep to Gareth McAuley before Oliver Norwood sent a rasping shot into the side-netting.
They thought they had made a breakthrough in the 24th minute when Stuart Dallas cut the ball back for Magennis, but his shot on the turn was deflected to safety.
Jamie Ward tried his luck from 25 yards as Northern Ireland surged again, but his shot was a fraction high.
 |
| Josh Magennis - scorer of Northern Ireland's second goal - celebrates progress to France 2016 |
The visitors were being penned back by an industrious front three of Magennis, Stuart Dallas and Ward, but it took a moment of vision from Corry Evans to crack things open in front of 11,700 fans at an under-construction Windsor Park.
The Blackburn midfielder appeared to have few options available when he spotted Dallas on the right and pinged a precision pass. The winger measured his ball across goal and Davis was on hand to stab home, sparking an electric reaction on and off the pitch.
Greece almost spoiled the script in first-half injury-time, Kostas Mitroglou striking a post. By the start of the second half French flags had begun to pop up in the crowd. If it is bad luck to tempt fate, nobody told Magennis as he steered Norwood’s corner past Orestis Karnezis for his first international goal.
It was job done – in terms of qualification at least – but Davis was not done yet and headed home just before the hour mark.
Greece gained a consolation four minutes from time, though Christos Aravidis’s close- range finish barely merited a reaction from either side. This was Northern Ireland’s night after three long decades of waiting since the 1986 World Cup. But that will all change in France next summer.
N IRELAND (4-1-4-1): McGovern; McNair (McCullough 85), McAuley, Cathcart, Brunt; Evans; Ward (McGinn 81), Norwood, Davis, Dallas; Magennis (Boyce 78).
Goals: Davis 35, 58, Magennis 49.
GREECE (4-1-4-1): Karnezis; Torosidis, Moras, Papastathopoulos, Holebas; Tziolis; Samaris, Karelis (Mantalos 65), Kone (Pelkas 71), Aravidis; Mitroglou (Athanasiadis 76).
Goal: Aravidis 86.
Referee: B Nijhuis (Netherlands)
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook Disqus