90’+5’Full TimeSecond Half ends, Northern Ireland 0, Kazakhstan 1.90’+4’Attempt missed. Conor McMenamin (Northern Ireland) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Niall McGinn.90’+3’Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Igor Shatskiy.90’+2’Attempt blocked. Conor McMenamin (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Niall McGinn.90’+2’Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Igor Shatskiy.90’+1’Attempt blocked. Niall McGinn (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Conor McMenamin.90’+1’Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Igor Shatskiy.
Northern Ireland Suffer Late Defeat to Kazakhstan in Euro 2024 Qualifying
Northern Ireland suffered a late 1-0 defeat by Kazakhstan in Belfast to leave their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 severely dented. Craig Cathcart and George Saville missed first-half headers for the injury-hit hosts, with substitute Conor McMenamin going close late on. The breakaway 88th-minute goal by substitute Abat Aimbetov gave the visitors an unlikely victory.
Group H Standings
Northern Ireland remain fifth in Group H with three points from four games. In Monday night’s other Group H games, Slovenia drew 1-1 at home to Denmark and Finland thumped San Marino 6-0, to leave the Finns on top, ahead of Kazakhstan on goal difference.
Michael O’Neill’s Return
Having opened with a 2-0 victory away to bottom seeds San Marino on Michael O’Neill’s return as manager, they have now suffered three consecutive 1-0 defeats. In Friday night’s cruel 1-0 loss in Denmark, O’Neill had said he was “not thinking about qualification” for next summer’s Euro finals in Germany, the latest loss makes that a hugely difficult task with six games left to play.
Late Goal Leaves Northern Ireland Stunned
The match looked to be heading for what would have been a frustrating draw for the home side when the visitors stunned Windsor Park with that late goal. Substitute Aimbetov raced clear from the halfway line and, with Ciaron Brown and Paddy McNair looking like they would stop him, he skipped past both and showed good composure to finish low into the corner past a helpless Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
McMenamin Comes Close to Breaking Deadlock
Glentoran winger McMenamin came close to breaking the deadlock for Northern Ireland with what would have been a spectacular first international goal but, after cutting inside off the right, the substitute’s superb left-foot strike from 25 yards was tipped over by visiting goalkeeper Igor Shatskly.
Line-Ups
Northern Ireland: Peacock-Farrell, McNair, Evans (McMenamin 64′), Cathcart, Hume, McCann (Taylor 71′), Charles, Saville (Booked 65′), Thompson (Brown 84′), Price, Charles (Lavery 72′)
Kazakhstan: Shatskiy, Bystrov, Marochkin (Booked 67′), Alip (Booked 67′), Gabyshev (Skvortsov 68′), Zaynutdinov (Kuat 75′), Beisebekov (Tagybergen 70′), Tapalov (Astanov 81′), Vorogovskiy (Aymbetov 81′), Orazov, Samorodov
Referee: Roi Reinshreiber