It speaks substantial volumes for the distance Northern Ireland have travelled under Michael O’Neill during this fruitful Euro 2016 qualifying campaign that there was a notable sense of deflation after the scoreless draw against Romania.
Northern Ireland have displayed discipline – and even shards of magnificence – in a campaign that had brought four victories out of five before the visit of the group leaders and favourites.
There could not have been a greater contrast between the respective coaches, either; studious O’Neill, quietly obsessive and increasingly respected, and Anghel Iordanescu, a veteran football brain, bombastic former politician and military overlord.
Yet Iordanescu’s manoeuvrings failed to outflank O’Neill, who admitted that, while the Windsor Park encounter failed to showcase the prominent aspects of both teams, he had watched the best of Group F. Northern Ireland’s primary aim was to avoid defeat to keep on track for qualification – and a composed display from the stand-in goalkeeper Michael McGovern of Hamilton, winning his first competitive cap, clearly helped. They were far from graceful on Saturday, but a point against a side ranked 12th in the world, and who had only conceded a single goal in their own campaign, has to be viewed in a positive light.
However, there was a sentiment that, having finished the stronger, all three points could have been claimed, particularly as Romania had to cope without five key players, including Lucian Sanmartean, the ringleader of the Irish tormentors in the previous fixture, a 2-0 win in Bucharest last November.
As it is, Romania remain top of the group, and with third-placed Hungary having closed the gap on the Irish to two points, following victory over Finland, there must be no hint of complacency. O’Neill possesses that vague, indefinable, managerial edge which suggests his men will maintain their collective work ethic.
In real terms, Northern Ireland will be booking their tickets to France next summer if they keep their nerve and work through occasional bouts of anxiety in possession.
A September double-header, away to Faroe Islands who beat a self-destructive Greece, and at home to the Hungarians, will be fascinating. Six much-anticipated points should suffice for a first appearance at the European finals.
O’Neill said: “We have a difficult game in the Faroe Islands especially since they won against Greece so they will be buoyant, then we have a massive game against Hungary here.
“I hope September puts us in a strong situation. This was always going to be a difficult game because of the scheduling and because it was Romania, but we have worked extremely hard in the six games so far.”
These are strangely special, electric, times for Northern Ireland. Occasionally vulnerable on the counterattack against their opponents, this new status takes some getting used to. A forceful finish at a still under-construction Windsor Park will have pleased O’Neill though, despite a glaring miss from the in-form striker, Kyle Lafferty, the talisman of this ascendancy.
“We are slightly disappointed that we didn’t take the three points,” O’Neill explained. “When we look back at it I think we will see it as a really good point.
“The most pleasing thing for me was the level of desire the team showed. We contested every single ball and covered a lot of ground. We have played better in the group – there is no doubt about that – but you have to give credit to the opposition because we were playing against a good team.”
With four games remaining, the worst-case scenario is surely a play-off place. “At the outset of the campaign the top three was our focus,” O’Neill said. “We are obviously in a very strong position to at least obtain that but we are at a stage that I as a manager and the players, want more than that.”
The Northern Irish at least have a new handle on tetchy situations, and, in theory, the hardest fixtures are now behind them. Therefore, when Hungary check in to Belfast they can, potentially, add fluency, maximum points – and long, aching, realisation of Euro ambitions.
Northern Ireland McGovern, C McLaughlin, McAuley, J Evans (Cathcart 80), Brunt; Baird, Ward (C Evans 80), Davis, Norwood, Dallas; Lafferty.
Romania Tatarusanu, Papp, Grigore, Chiriches, Sepsi; Prepelița, Pintilli; Maxim (Tamas 88), Torje; Chipclu (Stancu 61); Keseru (Andone 72)
