Norway 1 Northern Ireland 0
Northern Ireland’s Nations League hoodoo continues after an agonising Stuart Dallas own goal gifted Norway a narrow win in Oslo.
A disciplined and durable display at the Ullevaal Stadion was cruelly undone by a messy moment midway through the second half.
We thought the threat might have come from the right or left boot of prolific Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland.
Or the blond-haired head of the 20-year-old who, prior to last night, had scored 27 goals in 27 games for club and country in 2020.
Instead it was the unsuspecting shoulder of Dallas, the ball looping off the Leeds United defender’s upper arm and past the unsighted Trevor Carson from a Martin Odegaard corner.
What a hellish and haphazard way to make it eight Nations League games without a win across two editions of the competition.
On the plus side, Ian Baraclough had demanded a selection headache ahead of next month’s Euro 2020 playoff final with Slovakia in Belfast; and he got it with several players raising their hands for further frontline action.
Motherwell keeper Carson, a last minute addition to the starting line-up after Bailey Peacock-Farrell pulled up in the warm-up, produced a couple of superb saves.
Young Arsenal defender Daniel Ballard, a magnet for the ball in the first half, and Stoke City midfielder Jordan Thompson also offered a glimpse of the future.
No doubt Baraclough, who gave himself further food for thought with a 3-5-2 formation, will return home after a frantic triple header with conflicting emotions.
Back-to-back defeats to Austria and Norway in the Nations League will sting, but he will console himself with last week’s Euro 2020 playoff shootout win in Sarajevo.
If we were going to win one game from a congested schedule in October, beating Bosnia was the fixture to come out on top in.
Overcome Slovakia in Belfast on November 12 and Northern Ireland will be on their way to the promised land of next summer’s finals.
Baraclough had promised changes as he stared down the barrel of a third game in seven days and senior players Steven Davis and Stuart Dallas both started on the bench.
Leicester City’s Jonny Evans captained the side, with Watford’s Craig Cathcart and Newcastle United’s Jamal Lewis (achilles) both missing from the matchday squad.
Carson was handed his first cap in almost two years and he was called into immediate action to deny Haaland a quickfire opener less than two minutes in.
Martin Odegaard found the Dortmund striker five yards out and he looked odds on to bag his seventh international goal in only seven outings.
But Carson got a strong hand to his sweeping effort and Sunderland centre back Tom Flanagan scrambled back to clear the ball off the goalline.
After that early scare, Northern Ireland looked dangerous on the counter with Josh Magennis and Conor Washington dovetailing nicely in attack.
Washington forced Andre Hansen into a third minute save with a rising shot, before Magennis also stung the Rosenborg keeper’s hands with a low drive.
It should have been 1-0 to the visitors in the 19th minute when Magennis was presented with a golden chance to add to his tally of seven international goals.
Washington raced clear to feather a superb ball into his striker partner’s stride, but Hansen blocked his shot 12 yards out, Baraclough wincing in frustration on the sidelines.
Carson smothered a tame Haaland header at the end of the first half before diving superbly to his left to deny Josh King’s low shot after the break.
Norway won it in scrappy circumstances when the unfortunate Dallas scored an instantly forgettable own goal in the 67th minute.
Odegaard flashed a corner into the mixer, Ballard lost the flight of the delivery and the ball billowed in off the Leeds player’s arm.
It was a sloppy way to lose the game and a disappointing end to a manic month that delivered a mixed bag of results and memories.
But with that Euro playoff secure against Slovakia on November 12 thanks to last week’s win in Bosnia, last night’s frustration is unlikely to last long.
When the dust settles, it will be a case of mission accomplished in October.
Baraclough had promised changes as he stared down the barrel of a third game in seven days and senior players Steven Davis and Stuart Dallas both started on the bench.
Leicester City’s Jonny Evans captained the side, with Watford’s Craig Cathcart and Newcastle United’s Jamal Lewis (achilles) both missing from the matchday squad.
Carson was handed his first cap in almost two years and he was called into immediate action to deny Haaland a quickfire opener less than two minutes in.
Martin Odegaard found the Dortmund striker five yards out and he looked odds on to bag his seventh international goal in only seven outings.
But Carson got a strong hand to his sweeping effort and Sunderland centre back Tom Flanagan scrambled back to clear the ball off the goalline.
After that early scare, Northern Ireland looked dangerous on the counter with Josh Magennis and Conor Washington dovetailing nicely in attack.
Washington forced Andre Hansen into a third minute save with a rising shot, before Magennis also stung the Rosenborg keeper’s hands with a low drive.
It should have been 1-0 to the visitors in the 19th minute when Magennis was presented with a golden chance to add to his tally of seven international goals.
Washington raced clear to feather a superb ball into his striker partner’s stride, but Hansen blocked his shot 12 yards out, Baraclough wincing in frustration on the sidelines.
Carson smothered a tame Haaland header at the end of the first half before diving superbly to his left to deny Josh King’s low shot after the break.
Norway won it in scrappy circumstances when the unfortunate Dallas scored an instantly forgettable own goal in the 67th minute.
Odegaard flashed a corner into the mixer, Ballard lost the flight of the delivery and the ball billowed in off the Leeds player’s arm.
It was a sloppy way to lose the game and a disappointing end to a manic month that delivered a mixed bag of results and memories.
But with that Euro playoff secure against Slovakia on November 12 thanks to last week’s win in Bosnia, last night’s frustration is unlikely to last long.
When the dust settles, it will be a case of mission accomplished in October.
