Although it wasn’t a display that always ebbed and flowed, Northern Ireland’s place in League B of the Women’s Nations League is secure following Tuesday night’s play-off second leg.
Entering the two-legged series against Montenegro knowing that victory was essential to avoid the drop into League C of the competition, most of the groundwork, as it happened, was laid in the first clash of the sides.
A performance that was largely controlling but lacking in penetration until late on in Podgorica before Lauren Wade and Demi Vance rammed in second-half headers to bring a two-goal lead back to Belfast for round two, the clash at Windsor Park was no breeze – made more gale-force, in fact, when the visitors cut their opponents’ advantage in half through Medina Desic’s textbook header 24 minutes from time and brought a few nervous looks in the stand.
That anxiety was only to last seven minutes, however, when Simone Magill finished from close range after substitute Ellie Mason shrewdly nodded into the Aston Villa striker’s path.
The head start restored, a weight off the shoulders of the players and fans – of which there were over 4,000 bunched into the international venue’s South Stand – cued a remainder that, although not one where the Montenegrins were without threat, was ostensibly more settled than had been the case at 1-0.
An impressive showing in goal by young Crusaders goalkeeper Maddy Harvey-Clifford, who pulled off a fabulous one-on-one save to stop opposition forward Armisa Kuc from opening the scoring just a few minutes in, undeniably made a difference.
She was certainly a decisive factor in a first period that, save for some astute link-up down the right between full-back Rebecca McKenna and wide player Caragh Hamilton, was a bit lacking in spark from a Northern Irish persuasion.
Hamilton arguably should’ve broken the deadlock on the half’s blow; the Lewes ace raced through down the inside-right channel with only Anastasija Krstovic to beat, and her shot was trickling over the line but for a strong hand by the Montenegro stopper and resulting goalline hoof by the recovering Jelena Karlicic.
Played through by her former Glentoran team-mate Joely Andrews, Hamilton’s effort was by far the closest the home outfit came to netting and the nearest the Green and White Army came to erupting into cheer – but it wasn’t quite to be.
Still, it injected life into the game, and the second half was more abuzz before Desic, a sharp-shooter in the Frauen-Bundesliga with 1. FC Nurnberg, turned in from a left-sided corner on 66 minutes amid a crowd of bodies, spiced the encounter up when she sliced Montenegro’s arrears down to one and made the next goal pivotal.
Had the guests recorded the next strike, the contest would’ve been on a collision course for extra-time but, thankfully for the home crowd, Magill had an easy job of making it safe.
Moments earlier, the same player had cracked the crossbar with a venomous drive before reigning NIWFA Premiership Player of the Year Danielle Maxwell, who has joined Blackburn Rovers on the back of her exploits in a Cliftonville shirt, turned the rebound wide.
On 73 minutes, however, Magill set the record straight. Any one of a number of Northern Ireland bodies could’ve bundled it in given Krstovic was well off her line as she moved to block Mason’s cut-back with Maxwell having floated in the initial deliver, but the 29-year-old was on the receiving end and wheeled away.
She has found herself back among the goals both for club and country ever since making her return from the ACL injury she sustained in Southampton at Euro 2022 that kept her out for nine months, including a penalty against Hungary last October and a brace in Albania in December, but this is her first goal on home soil since then and, for that reason, carries some degree of emotion that the markswoman is back doing what she does best consistently.
It settled the game, with Northern Ireland managing the final 17 minutes successfully to avoid the dreaded drop-down.
With Euro 2025 qualifying right around the corner ahead of the competition proper next year in Switzerland, it’s a timely lift as Oxtoby bids to emulate her predecessor Kenny Shiels’ feat and secure a Finals berth.
The previous edition was NI’s first-ever feature at a major women’s international tournament and has been billed as a means to go on.
Certainly, it’s not all been plain sailing, and after Shiels exited the role in January 2023, Gail Redmond and Andy Waterworth both took interim charge before Australia-born Oxtoby was hired in September of that year.
A former assistant to iconic Chelsea Women boss Emma Hayes, the 41-year-old arrived with clear pedigree and, while it won’t be an overnight job, she’s made a bright start in the post.
Although the Nations League featured heavy defeats to the Republic of Ireland home (6-1) and away (3-0), they were in the World Cup a few short months earlier, while back-to-back wins over Albania and two games against Hungary – a 1-1 draw at Seaview and 3-2 loss in Budapest – where they were unlucky not to pick up victories inspired belief that the Irish FA had made the right decision for their hotseat leader.
And if Oxtoby and her team were thrown into the pressure cooker when facing Montenegro, you wouldn’t have known it from her demeanour.
A picture of calm on the touchline at Windsor, she didn’t cut the image of someone willing to shirk from the challenge – and pragmatic game management across the two legs was a sure-fire factor in why Northern Ireland averted relegation.
After playing the patience game in the first duel against a side that dug in deep rather than opened up, Wade and Vance made sure the strategy paid off and, as Montenegro did come at her side in the return, Oxtoby still trusted her game plan before again reaping the rewards.
It wasn’t a spectacle, but Northern Ireland weren’t out of their depth nor outgunned at any point – and that should inspire belief that NI can progress under the former Perth Glory and Doncaster Rovers centre-back’s tutelage.
With the home market also as integral to Oxtoby’s strategy as it was to Shiels, developments on all fronts can be made… and yes, it’s early days, but there’s early positivity to be had, too.
Featured image from William Cherry/Press Eye/Northern Ireland National Team Social Media.
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