But with only a one-point advantage over Belarus, and Bulgaria two points back in third, there is still plenty of work to do. No one is expecting another rush of goals and O’Neill remains adamant that the final third is where his side still have the most work to do, but the potential in this side has been made abundantly clear. Goalkeeping dilemmaPierce Charles’ performances for Northern Ireland last month have left Michael O’Neill with a goalkeeping dilemma (Liam McBurney/PA)One of the most intriguing questions to be answered when O’Neill names his team on Friday will be who starts in goal. But he has struggled since joining Birmingham in the summer, and made a costly mistake in his last Northern Ireland appearance – the 1-0 loss to Bulgaria in September. Considerable time and energy had to be spent on developing contingency plans – with a return to Zalaegerszeg, Hungary being lined up if needed – but Northern Ireland were keen not to lose home advantage at a sold-out Windsor Park.

Source: The Herald November 15, 2024 04:26 UTC