Their campaign has defied expectation and Northern Ireland must do so again to reach their first tournament for 30 years. Greece, floundering winless at the foot of Group F, appear ideal opponents for a team needing victory to finish the job but it is not only Windsor Park that is below capacity on Thursday. Michael O’Neill’s team are similarly depleted so tantalisingly close to history.
The building contractors redeveloping Windsor Park have installed an extra 1,500 seats since Hungary’s visit four weeks ago for the final home qualifier. They sold out in minutes, although only 12,200 will witness Northern Ireland’s penultimate shot at sealing a place in France with construction ongoing. O’Neill has also been working tirelessly to fill the gaps in his ranks.
Kyle Lafferty, the leading goalscorer who has taken the team so close with seven goals in eight games, is suspended, as are first-team regulars Chris Baird and Conor McLaughlin. Jonny Evans is also absent with a hamstring injury suffered in West Bromwich Albion’s defeat at Crystal Palace on Saturday, though will remain with the squad in case he recovers – and is required – for Sunday’s finale in Finland.
O’Neill has cited a lack of suspensions and disruption as a key to Northern Ireland’s rise from second from bottom of their 2014 World Cup qualifying group to the summit of their European Championship campaign. “Our bookings were really high in the last campaign and we had three red cards. When you have our player pool you just can’t carry that,” O’Neill said in the Faroe Islands last month. However, he offered no excuses, only the conviction that those available will seize their moment against Greece.
“As an international player you write your legacy in terms of the number of times you play, the number of memorable performances you have and if you get the chance to go to a major tournament,” said the Northern Ireland manager. “These players can write their legacy by going to a major tournament.
“The prize is great and it’s something the players are determined to be part of. These opportunities don’t come around for Northern Ireland players very often. I don’t think motivation has ever been an issue for this team, if I’m honest. Even when results weren’t going as well as we’d hoped I never had an issue in terms of the effort that the players have given me. The belief in the squad is fantastic.”
Victory would secure Northern Ireland’s first appearance at a European Championship finals and their first appearance at an international tournament since the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. They require two points from the remaining games against Greece and Finland to qualify after Lafferty’s stoppage-time equaliser against Hungary gave O’Neill’s team a better head-to-head record against the no-longer Mighty Magyars. Qualification can also be assured should Hungary fail to beat the Faroe Islands in Budapest.
The mathematics appear more straightforward than replacing Lafferty’s goal threat. The Norwich City striker has scored seven of Northern Ireland’s 12 goals in qualifying while his most likely replacement, Kilmarnock’s Josh Magennis, is yet to score in 14 international appearances. Nottingham Forest’s Jamie Ward is available, however, having missed the last double-header through injury. As bad as Greece have been in this campaign, losing home and away to the Faroe Islands and all four matches at home without scoring, they have been difficult to break on the road. Three draws in four away games have yielded Greece’s only points.
O’Neill said: “All week the preparation has been around our strengths, what has made us successful in this campaign, re-emphasising that. We are the top goalscorers in the group and we’re unbeaten at home as well. It’s a case of belief. A case of trust among each other. That belief has grown game by game.”
Watford’s Craig Cathcart is expected to replace Evans in central defence, with Paddy McNair of Manchester United likely to take Baird’s role as the midfield anchor. Aaron Hughes’s continued loyalty – he travelled from Melbourne for the last qualifiers and never played – should be rewarded at right-back. O’Neill, despite previous concern about disruption, believes he has the team to deliver a memorable night at Windsor Park.
“Obviously the injury to Jonny at the weekend was a blow but one thing I have noticed in those three days, maybe more so than in the past, is that the squad is stronger now than at any time I’ve been in charge,” the manager said. “I genuinely believe that we have the players to step in and deal with this game, in terms of dealing with the situation with Jonny not being available, and with the suspensions we have as well.”
Steven Davis has perfected the art of maintaining perspective during his recent press conference appearances as captain. But there is no disguising what victory over Greece would represent to the Southampton midfielder – the finest moment of his career.
“Without a doubt,” said Davis. “There’s huge significance on the result. It’s hard to sum up in words, really, what it would mean. We’re so close yet so far at this point in time. We’d have loved to do it against Hungary but football isn’t always that easy, we know that in Northern Ireland. We’re just embracing it.”
