Northern Ireland 3 Belarus 0
Eleven games unbeaten, Northern Ireland said farewell to Belfast on Friday night with a comfortable victory over weak opposition. Kyle Lafferty scored his 17th international goal on his 50th cap.
That was one element of a satisfactory night for manager Michael O’Neill, who was able to test various formations and personnel. Another was the display of Paddy McNair. The Manchester United midfielder, 21 last month, played in front of the back four in the first half, then roamed further forward after half-time.
For the fans there was added pleasure in Will Grigg’s late third. Grigg’s name has become the chant du jour and it was belted out.
If there was one moment of concern, it came early in the second half when Lafferty clashed with Belarus defenders. At Euro 2016 such behaviour could bring a yellow or red card and O'Neill quickly replaced his centre forward.
Aaron Hughes was one of a number of substitutions that affected the flow of the game. It was Hughes's 99th cap and he joined a defence that has conceded one goal in four matches.
Belarus, a distant fourth in Spain’s qualifying group barely threatened, it must be said. O’Neill knows it will be different against Poland in Nice a fortnight tomorrow.
Here it was 2-0 at the interval. It would be an exaggeration to say this was a consequence of vivid attacking; rather it was down to strikers’ instincts and some woeful defending.
Stuart Dallas was involved in both goals, his first cross of the game setting up the 6th minute opener. Belarus had the opportunity to clear but Mikita Korzun miscued and as others dallied Lafferty nipped in to stab the ball in.
For O’Neill the match was about matters beyond the result. He expects Northern Ireland to be outdone in terms of possession in France and Belarus were allowed the ball.
Going forward the Irish were 3-1-4-2 but when Belarus pressed, Conor McLaughlin on the right and Dallas on the left retreated to make a back five. That’s likely to be in evidence against Poland.
With captain Steven Davis pushing on, the Irish probed when they could and just before half-time another Dallas cross from the left was dealt with poorly by the visitors.
This time goalkeeper Andrei Harbunov fluffed a punch and Conor Washington was there to nod past a flailing defender on the line.
Northern Ireland (3-1-4-2): Carroll (Mannus, h/t); Cathcart, Baird, J Evans; McNair; McLaughlin, C Evans (McGinn, 74 mins) Davis (Norwood, h/t), Dallas (Hughes, 74 mins); Washington (Ward, 60 mins), Lafferty (Grigg, 60 mins).
Belarus (4-1-4-1): Harbunov; Shytau, Martynovich, Filipenko, Valadzko; Korzun; Hardzeichuk, Krivets, Kisliak, Stasevich; Yanush
Referee: M Atkinson (England)
