Northern Ireland 1 – Latvia 0: Davis’ goal secures historic friendly win for
“I am delighted to be back in the Latvian national team and I will try to give everything and help the team any way I can”.
“We are looking forward to the tournament now”.
It was important for the manager and the players to send the supporters away from Windsor with an even bigger spring in their step, having witnessed another win taking their unbeaten run in EIGHT games.
“We’ve had great consistency in the squad and the players have been fantastic”.
Prior to tonight you had to go back to a 4-1 win over Georgia in Belfast in 2008 to find the province’s last friendly success. The players have to recognise what has got them here to this point, and the work rate and energy they have put in, and the belief and confidence they have as a team.
‘I don’t think it’s going to be top priority, ‘ he said.
Evans missed the final two qualifiers with a hamstring injury sustained in West Brom’s defeat at Crystal Palace in September.
Ward went close three minutes later when he was played in down the left of the area by Chris Baird, but his low angled effort was well saved by Vanins at full stretch and again his defenders cleared the loose ball.
The breakthrough finally came ten minutes into the second half and it was captain Davis on target.
The skipper – who scored two against Greece last month – met Cathcart’s deep cross with a header that was blocked by Vanins, but the Southampton midfielder forced home the rebound for his eighth worldwide goal.
O’Neill introduced Corry Evans, Roy Carroll, Josh Magennis, Shane Ferguson and Paddy McCourt to sample the party atmosphere generated by over 11,700 fans inside a freezing Windsor Park.
O’Neill said: “I was pleased with a lot of aspects of the performance”.
“There were a few fine individual displays, although I thought our final ball could have been better in the first half and we could have created more chances in the second”.
O’Neill could tinker with his system but is unlikely to make too many personnel changes over the coming months, adding: “We don’t have 50 players waiting to come in so it’s not a case of there being huge options”.