Northern Ireland now know what they must do if they are to stand a chance of qualifying for back-to-back Women’s European Championships.
Only a victory over Croatia on Tuesday at Windsor Park will keep the dream of a place at next summer’s Finals in Switzerland alive after a turgid 1-1 draw in in the first leg of their play-off tie in Varazdin.
A fortunate own goal two minutes into injury time leaves the tie on a knife edge and the Croatians may regret not doing more to build on the momentum of their early lead.
After scoring from the penalty spot through Izabela Lojna – who would put the ball into the same net late on – with just five minutes on the clock, Croatia frustrated and fouled their way through the remaining 85 minutes, with weak refereeing allowing them to get away with a physical approach and a string of cynical challenges that brought just a single yellow card from the Portuguese official.
That physicality is something that Northern Ireland will have to deal with much better, though, if they are to turn the tie around and reach the final Play-Off round.
If this was the extent of Croatia’s attacking threat – they hardly troubled Jackie Burns again until just before the equaliser – then progressing to the next round is well within Northern Ireland’s gift.
It was a disastrous start for Northern Ireland – and one they were partly responsible for contributing to.
Ana Maria Markovic was allowed to run all the way down the wing without a proper challenge being made and sent a low cross into the corner of the six-yard box, where Ivana Rudelic met the ball just ahead of Burns. The Northern Ireland goalkeeper got herself into a terrible tangle, having hold of the Croatian’s shirt before falling into the back of her, sending Rudelic to the ground and the referee pointed straight to the penalty spot.
Lojna sent the ball high into the net to Burns’ right as she dived left to make it 1-0.
With just five minute on the clock it was already about how Northern Ireland would react – although with a lot of time left in the two-legged tie there was no need to panic.
The response was, however, almost instant, when Magill darted in at the near post to meet a superb cross from Danielle Maxwell and was only the width of the crossbar away from equalising – the ball bouncing down just in front of the goal line.
From the next attack, Laura Rafferty smashed a shot just wide at a low driven corner and Northern Ireland looked like they had immediately swung the early momentum back in their favour.
Croatia’s response was to try to break up the play as much as possible. They committed foul after foul all over the pitch – some rather cynical as they looked intent on simply slowing the game down while holding a 1-0 lead.
The foul count reached double figures in the first half without a single one being punished with a yellow card and that simply allowed the pattern to continue.
Getting into any kind of rhythm or building up a head of steam was almost impossible, and when Northern Ireland did manage to string passes together the final ball always seemed rushed, and Magill in particular was pressured out of possession several times early in the second half.
A bit more quality in the final third – particularity when Rebecca McKenna got high on the right only for her pull back to be much too far away from Lauren Wade – was needed too.
Oxtoby turned to her bench in a search for some impetus and within a couple of minutes Casey Howe tricked her way down the left wing only to fire a shot well off target from the edge of the box. That almost summed up the performance.
Then, out of almost nothing, came the goal that could prove pivotal in the contest.
In the second minute of injury time, Howe whipped the ball in low from the left after exchanging passes with fellow substitute Louise McDaniel at a corner and Lojna’s outstretched leg diverted it into the net at the front post.
It remains to be seen just how big that goal will be.
CROATIA: Bacic, Jelencic, Nevrkla, Pezelj, Joscak, Rudelic, Lojna, Galic, Mikulica (Dordic 95), Canjevac, Markovic (Dulcic 75).
Unused subs: Filipovic, Radolovic, Zivkovic, Vracevic, Orkic, Slipcevic, Spajic,Kunstek, Jedvaj, Lubina.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Burns, McKenna, Rafferty, Dugdale (Burrows 83), Holloway, McParlan, Scofield (Bell 72), Maxwell, Halliday (McDaniel 64), Wade, Magill (Howe 72).
Unused subs: Norney, Harvey Clifford, McCarron, Mason, Wilson. McLaren, Johnson.
Referee: Sandra Bastos (Portugal)
Player of the match: Rebecca Holloway
Match rating: 4/10
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Doris Bacic does well to palm a cross behind that Shannon McPartland was lurking to try and steer in, but the resulting corner proves to be Croatia’s undoing. Casey Howe passes short, takes the return and beats a defender to go into the box, and it’s her cross that Lojna can’t deal with and she can only deflect it into her own net for the equaliser!
Can Northern Ireland potentially snatch a winner?
Dulcic was making a legitimate play for the ball, we’re not talking a deliberate foul here, but that was some impact that Dugdale has received. There’s a break in play as she receives treatment.
How that is the identity of the person to be booked first is beyond me. The hosts’ discipline has been appalling in this game.
Opportunities have been at a real premium since the resumption of play.
The corner comes to nothing.