Michael O’Neill has said Northern Ireland can handle the loss of Kyle Lafferty despite admitting the striker has become a beacon of hope for his team during the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
Lafferty scored a crucial equaliser against Hungary on Monday to maintain Northern Ireland’s prospects of reaching a first tournament in 30 years, but he will miss Greece’s visit to Belfast on 8 October through suspension. The Norwich City player’s importance at international level was underlined not only by his seventh goal in eight qualifying games but also O’Neill’s refusal to withdraw the forward, exhausted after missing pre-season through injury, as Northern Ireland chased an equaliser with 10 men.
Chris Baird, sent off in the 81st-minute, and Conor McLaughlin, who was booked, are also suspended for the Greece game. The manager had cited a good disciplinary record as a factor in his team’s rise to the top of Group F after Friday’s 3-1 win in the Faroe Islands, claiming his squad lack the resources to withstand several suspensions. But he insists Northern Ireland can claim the win without Lafferty that would secure a place at Euro 2016. The striker has been involved in eight of their 12 goals in this campaign.
“I think we can win without Kyle, there’s no doubt,” said the Northern Ireland manager. “We were taking him off at nil-nil, he was shattered, but keeping him on the park gives you hope and you’re looking for hope. Obviously Kyle has given us hope throughout this campaign and he came again for us against Hungary.
“Kyle being out is obviously a blow, Conor being out is a blow and to me Baird’s was never a red card offence. But we have players available to us. We’ve Aaron Hughes who can come in at right back, we’ve Paddy McNair, we’ve more depth to the squad and more contribution off the bench. Big Josh [Magennis]is a handful. He’s physical and he’s quick. I’ll look carefully at the striking situation at how the players are at their clubs and make a decision as to who takes that role.”
Lafferty has also backed Magennis to fill the role against Greece, although the Kilmarnock forward has yet to score in 14 appearances for Northern Ireland, and Nottingham Forest’s Jamie Ward should have recovered from a hamstring injury for next month’s double-header, which also features Finland.
“We have enough in the squad to get a result against Greece,” Lafferty said. “You just have to look at the whole squad, from players on the bench to players that Michael has to leave out. They are all good players. Josh will probably come in and he will do a job. He made an assist for me against the Faroes and he caused Hungary a few problems.
“Whoever Michael decides to bring in, they will work their socks off for the team. That’s what Michael has got now – hard workers. This team does not get beat at Windsor Park any more. Our heart and determination won’t let any team come here and walk over us. Michael O’Neill’s team will not lose at Windsor. Every single player was absolutely shattered in the last 15 minutes but, against 11 players, we got the equaliser. Unfortunately we didn’t cross the finish line but we’re not panicking. Hungary and Romania have to go out and win their two games. If they don’t, we qualify. So all we have to do is go out and win a game and I’m pretty sure we will.”
Two points from the Greece and Finland games will take Northern Ireland to their first European Championship, although a defeat for Hungary in their matches, at home to the Faroe Islands and away in Greece, would also suffice for O’Neill’s men. “The Hungarians aren’t a high-scoring team,” added the manager. “It’ll be a big ask for them to win the two games and they’ve quite a few yellow cards as well.”
