Northern Irish fans were handed an absolutely delightful performance by their national team earlier today, as they romped to a historic 2-0 win over Ukraine in Lyon.
There was so much of talk about Ukraine’s ability to create chances through Yarmolenko and Konoplyanka on the flanks, but from kick-off, it was evident that Michael O’Neill’s men were determined to keep it tight at the back.
Ukraine dominated possession though they could never break the Northern Irish defence, particularly in the second half. But Michael O’Neill’s men broke the deadlock in the second half, against the run of play. Merely moments after Ukraine hit the post, Gareth McAuley headed home from a free-kick, making it 1-0 on the night.
Ukraine piled the pressure and were hopeful of potentially sealing at least one point out of this. But the threat posed by Yarmolenko and Konoplyanka was largely nullified by the Northern Irish defence. And just when you thought O’Neill’s men were going to claim a narrow win, Niall McGin scored in injury time to help them seal a comprehensive 2-0 win!
This victory will undoubtedly strengthen their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages, especially if these three players continue to shine for them in the cruncher against Germany!
Jonny Evans
This was a perfect game for him. Ukraine launched waves after waves of attack, but years of acquiring experience at Man United, paid handsome dividends tonight. Evans was absolutely composed at the back and barely put a wrong foot during the game. His positioning was crucial in keeping the clean sheet and the Northern Irish fans will be hoping to see more of against Germany.
Gareth McAuley
As much as it was a story about defenders, McAuley’s impact took place in the opposite end of the pitch. With Ukraine dominating possession, O’Neill’s men knew chances would come rarely – which essentially meant they could not afford to waste opportunities. So when a fantastic free-kick was floated in on the 49th minute mark, McAuley’s composed header gave the momentum that was needed to ultimately clinch the win.
Michael McGovern
While the defenders did enough to contain the threat posed by Yarmolenko and Konoplyanka, McGovern was equally crucial in denying the tiniest bits of attempts that those two squeezed in from the flanks. The 31 year-old shot-stopper was diligent in dealing with crosses that kept coming into the Northern Irish box and either cleared or gathered them without leaving room for mistakes within the six-yard box. Clinical performance from the Hamilton Academical man.
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