Northern Ireland v Scotland

UEFA WOMEN’S EURO 2022 PLAY OFF, FIRST LEG

UEFA WOMEN’S EURO 2022 PLAY OFF, SECOND LEG

NORTHERN IRELAND 2 CALLAGHAN 56', CALDWELL 96' UKRAINE 0

UKRAINE 1 APANASHCHENKO 22' NORTHERN IRELAND 2 FURNESS 5', MAGILL 57'

A two-leg play-off success against Ukraine Women in April saw Northern Ireland’s WIRMSV [SQIRŭW XIEQ FSSO XLIMV TPEGI EX 9)*% ;SQIRŭW )YVS MR )RKPERH THE HISTORY MAKERS

They were defensively sound throughout and classy goals from captain Marissa Callaghan, who replaced the injured Furness in the number 10 role, and substitute Nadene Caldwell were enough to seal the historic success. &SXL WMHIW GVIEXIH GLERGIW MR XLI STIRMRK QMRYXIW 1MH[E] through the half Ukraine delivered a series of crosses into the penalty area which were headed clear by Nelson, while Northern -VIPERH WXVMOIV 1EKMPP ƤVIH MR E PS[ HVMZI JVSQ ER ERKPI [LMGL was collected at the near post by Ukrainian keeper Kateryna Samson. Towards the end of the half the visitors pushed forward and the home defence had to dig deep to keep them out. There were some timely blocks and interventions, with the experienced trio SJ 2IPWSR ,YXXSR ERH 1G*EHHIR MR XLI XLMGO SJ MX ƥEROIH F] Rebecca Holloway and Rebecca McKenna. Northern Ireland took the lead on 55 minutes when Nelson ƥSEXIH E JVII OMGO MRXS XLI FS\ XS[EVHW 'EPPEKLER ERH XLI WOMTTIV ƥMGOIH XLI FEPP TEWX XLI EHZERGMRK OIITIV FIJSVI slipping it into the net from an extremely tight angle. It was a lovely piece of skill. The visitors continued to press but both Nelson and Hutton, using all their experience to great effect, were imperious at the back. Down the other end McFadden produced a superb challenge to XL[EVX E 9OVEMRI EXXEGO [LMPI 3ZHM]GLYO ƤVIH E WLSX SZIV XLI top. In the 87th minute Ukraine were reduced to 10 players when Natiya Pantsulaya was shown a straight red for blocking off McFadden as she was running towards the Ukrainian area. As the game entered six minutes of added time Northern Ireland substitute Sam Kelly produced a lovely piece of skill to force a corner and then she scooped a shot wide from distance. Right at the death Caldwell sealed the win for Northern Ireland. Magill nicked the ball off a Ukraine defender and nudged it to XLI QMHƤIPHIV [LS GPIZIVP] VSYRHIH XLI OIITIV ERH WXVSOIH XLI ball home. Words Nigel Tilson

They produced a gritty, resilient and skilful display to defeat 9OVEMRI MR XLI ƤVWX MRWXEPQIRX SJ XLI TPE] SJJ MR IEVP] %TVMP ũ ERH JSPPS[IH MX YT [MXL E ƤRI LSQI TIVJSVQERGI XS UYEPMJ] JSV E QENSV XSYVREQIRX JSV XLI ƤVWX XMQI MR XLIMV WLSVX LMWXSV] Goals from Rachel Furness and Simone Magill were enough to secure a famous victory at the Kolos Stadium in Kovalivka in the ƤVWX PIK 4EVXMGMTEXMRK MR XLIMV ƤVWX IZIV TPE] SJJ JSV E QENSV XSYVREQIRX Northern Ireland started brightly and Furness pounced after just ƤZI QMRYXIW XS TYX XLIQ SRI YT 9OVEMRI LSPHMRK QMHƤIPHIV 8EQMPE /LMQMGL TPE]IH E TSSV TEWW JSV[EVH ERH XLI EXXEGOMRK QMHƤIPHIV RMTTIH MR XS WXIIV XLI FEPP past Ukraine keeper Iryna Sanina. The ball hit the keeper’s foot on the way into the net but Furness rightly claimed the goal. 9OVEMRI IUYEPMWIH SR QMRYXIW [LIR XLIMV GETXEMR ERH WXEV TPE]IV (EV]E %TEREWLGLIROS ƥMGOIH E LIEHIV TEWX 2SVXLIVR -VIPERH OIITIV .EGOMI &YVRW MRXS XLI FSXXSQ GSVRIV 8LI 2SVXLIVR -VIPERH HIJIRGI WXSSH ƤVQ EW XLI LSQI WMHI pushed forward, with veterans Ashley Hutton, Julie Nelson and Sarah McFadden working tirelessly alongside wing backs Rebecca Holloway and Rebecca McKenna. On 57 minutes Northern Ireland took the lead again when Magill KSX SR XLI IRH SJ E 1G*EHHIR ƥMGO SR JSVGIH LIV [E] TEWX LIV marker and neatly clipped the ball high into the net from 10 ]EVHW -X [EW E PSZIP] ƤRMWL 8IR QMRYXIW PEXIV &YVRW TYWLIH E[E] E JVII OMGO JVSQ Apanashchenko before a last ditch tackle from Hutton snuffed out a Ukraine attack. It was backs to the wall in the closing stages, however the girls in green and white held their nerve and held on for a deserved ZMGXSV] In the second leg at Seaview just days later Northern Ireland Women booked their place at the Euros next year with a gutsy ZMGXSV] XS WIGYVI E EKKVIKEXI [MR Despite being without the talismanic Furness, who broke her XMFME MR XLI ƤVWX PIK ERH WIZIR SXLIV MRNYVIH TPE]IVW [LS [SYPH LEZI EVKYEFP] FIIR MR XLI WUYEH EX XLI ZIV] PIEWX /IRR] 7LMIPWŭ side produced another excellent performance.