Michael O’Neill has reflected on a painful lesson his young side learned against Belarus ahead of the sides’ reunion at Windsor Park.
Northern Ireland dominated the first half last month but could not find the opener despite creating several chances.
The visitors were frustrated as they missed the chance to go top of Group C3 in the Nations League.
Despite not scoring in their past two matches, O’Neill was confident the goals would come after the scoreless stalemate behind closed doors in Hungary due to Uefa restrictions on Belarus.
A few days later, Northern Ireland thumped Bulgaria 5-0 at Windsor Park in a scintillating attacking display.
Frustration made way for elation as the men in green hit the group summit.
Northern Ireland sit top on seven points, one point ahead of Belarus and two ahead of Bulgaria.
O’Neill’s side will host Belarus on November 15 before travelling to face Luxembourg three days later.
The former Shamrock Rovers manager says his side are working hard to retain a ruthless touch in front of goal.
“We missed chances against Belarus and I think if we look at Jamie, it was a bit unfortunate because the Jamie Reid that we had in March would have scored,” said O’Neill.
“He was injured in pre-season and had a blood clot, so he was also getting himself back but he had trained well and I felt he deserved to start.
“Their goalkeeper made a few good saves, we hit the post and it was a learning curve for us.
“It shows the players you have to take these chances, the game in the second half was more difficult as we faced a deeper defence with more bodies behind the ball, it was a different challenge and we might have to do that here at home, they may come here with a different strategy than they had in the first half in the first game. That is the challenge we must face.
“The area that this team needs to improve in, more than any other area of the pitch, is in the attacking third.
“We have attacking players who play in League One and we are asking them to step up, score goals and produce at international level.
“Some of them are still development players but the next phase for us is to be a bit more clinical, to get into better areas of the pitch to cross the ball from and get more bodies in the box and these are all things we will continually work on with the group.
“We have done a lot of work with that, whether video or on the training pitch and we will continue with that.”
Among the strikers hoping to score his first senior international goal is Huddersfield Town frontman Callum Marshall, on loan from Premier League side West Ham.
“Callum is a young player we’ve fast-tracked a little bit,” said O’Neill.
“Physically Callum is not ready to play through the middle at this minute in time.
“He is a striker, but he does well on the left in the system we play.
“He’s a very clever player, technical, he works very hard off the ball as well, and he’s playing regular minutes in a team where the expectation is to get promoted, so it’s a good challenge for him.
“He plays there in a front two most of the time but he tends to drift into that left channel a lot.
“He probably wishes he’d scored a few more goals at Huddersfield but the experience he’s getting as a 19-year-old, both in League One and at international level, bodes well.
“He’s still very much at the start of where he wants to be.
“As a front player, an attacking player now, there’s real value in being able to play across the front line.
“Those who can give managers and coaches a lot of options, and that’s what you want to have.”
Uncapped Brighton defender Ruairi McConville has been called up to the squad for the first time.
Sunderland defender Dan Ballard returns after injury but Paddy McNair and Eoin Toal miss the double-header because of hamstring injuries.
O’Neill also has a big call to make when it comes to the first name on his team-sheet after young Pierce Charles seized his chance to impress in the absence of Birmingham goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell who returns to the panel.
“Look, there’s competition for places and Bailey has played a lot of international football,” said O’Neill.
“You have to look at where all the goalkeepers are in relation to club form as well, and confidence.
“Bailey has had a difficult start to his Birmingham career, he then had an injury.
“His focus is obviously to get himself playing, and to the level he knows he’s capable of.
“Competition is good, Pierce is only 19. Conor (Hazard) is playing at Plymouth, Christy Pym at Mansfield, Luke Southwood at Bolton. So we’ve got goalkeepers playing on a more regular basis than we’ve had in recent years.
“You can only include three goalkeepers, so in this situation Christy misses out.
“It’s a position in the past we haven’t had enough competition, so to have it is good.”
Amid the uncertainty over whether the Belarus game would be staged at Windsor Park over visa issues, O’Neill is relieved to enjoy more home comforts this year.
“We’ve only had the chance to play at home twice in 2024 so it’s always nice for the players to get that opportunity,” said the former Stoke City chief.
“Everyone enjoyed the game against Bulgaria, the performance, the crowd, the atmosphere, so it would have been a bit disappointing to have had to go and play in an empty stadium in a neutral venue.
“It’s a big positive for us to get the opportunity and we have to try and get another positive result.
“We don’t expect to win every game 5-0, that would be unrealistic.
“But that intensity the team played with, they showed it against Luxembourg as well but it was longer against Bulgaria, and that has to be part of this team going forward particularly when we play here in Belfast.”