VAR Decision Rules Out Northern Ireland’s Last Gasp Equaliser
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill branded the late VAR decision which ruled out his side’s last-gasp equaliser against Denmark as a “joke”. Substitute Callum Marshall, who was making his international debut, thought he had rescued a point when he hooked home from Jonny Evans’ flick. It transpired that Evans was offside in the build-up, and O’Neill criticised the officials for the decision.
Jonas Wind Fires Opener
After frustrating hosts Denmark for large spells of the first half at the Parken Stadium, Northern Ireland suffered an early blow in the second period when Jonas Wind fired home the opener just two minutes after the restart. Northern Ireland were on the ropes after the goal, but managed to weather the Danish storm and O’Neill’s substitutions almost enabled his side to take home a valuable point.
O’Neill ‘Proud’ Despite Defeat
The former Stoke City boss expressed his frustration that Northern Ireland didn’t get the precious point he believed they deserved from the game. “I’m angry that we brought on an 18-year old who scored on his international debut and that got taken away from him by some ridiculous decision based on technology,” said O’Neill. “I am proud of the players out there, we are into double figures of players not available and we had six under the age of 21 on the pitch, I just felt we got everything we could. We had to manage the game well and frustrate Denmark. When we lost the goal we had to find a way to stay in the game and we did that”.
O’Neill conceded that a second successive loss in the group further diminishes their chances of qualifying for Euro 2024. “It would be an extremely difficult challenge for us to qualify with this young squad now. We feel a little bit hard done by, we deserve a bit of luck to go our way”.
Marshall’s Dream Turned to Nightmare
West Ham teenager Marshall was in dreamland when soon after coming on for his international bow his flicked volley from Evans’ downward header nestled in the far corner, but his dream soon turned to a nightmare when the goal was eventually ruled out after a lengthily VAR review. The striker, who scored in the FA Youth Cup final as the Hammers claimed the trophy, said that those final few minutes represented the inevitable highs and lows that come with football.
Must-Win Game Against Kazakhstan
The defeat in Copenhagen, coupled with results elsewhere in Group H, leaves Northern Ireland in fifth place with three points after three games. They host Kazakhstan on Monday in what now looks like a must-win game, if they harbour any hope of reaching next year’s European Championships in Germany. Marshall, however, believes the spirited showing against Denmark will give a young Northern Ireland squad renewed confidence that they can get a victory at Windsor Park.
Conclusion
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill was left frustrated by a VAR decision which ruled out his side’s last-gasp equaliser against Denmark. The defeat in Copenhagen leaves Northern Ireland in fifth place with three points after three games and they now face a must-win game against Kazakhstan on Monday if they harbour any hope of reaching next year’s European Championships in Germany. Despite the disappointment, O’Neill expressed his pride at his young squad’s performance and Marshall believes their spirited showing will give them renewed confidence ahead of their crucial game at Windsor Park.