NORTHERN Ireland fans jetting out for their Euro 2016 opener yesterday left Belfast from the intriguingly-renamed Kyle Lafferty Belfast City Airport.
The excitement that led bosses of the country’s main airport to name the facility after the former Rangers striker is perhaps understandable given this is the first major tournament their side has participated in since 1986, and only their fourth ever. In a group filled with Poland, Ukraine and World Cup winners Germany, the level of expectation heaped on Michael O’Neill’s team was perhaps tempered against reality and sheer joy of just being at the party for a change.
If there were any flying in on Lafferty Airways harbouring any sort of ideas that their team could continue their unbeaten run of 12 – the longest of any team in France – going into the Euros then they were quickly brought back down to earth during a credible but
ultimately hairy 90 minutes at the Allianz Riviera.
Hamilton Academical goalkeeper Michael McGovern and his defence were under intense pressure from Poland, only to make it through to half-time clinging to a 0-0 stalemate.
The goal drought would eventually be broken six minutes after the break when Arkadiusz Milik drilled a low shot into the net, and in truth it was no more than the team that topped Scotland’s qualifying group deserved.
“We knew it was going to be tough and a tough game for the defenders,” said Lafferty. “The balls coming up to me I had to get hold of but I’m not going to blame anyone else.
“I think the whole performance wasn’t a Northern Ireland performance. We will all look at it and on Thursday we will want to make sure we go into the third game against Germany fighting for something.
“I don’t think we can change. We have the fight, the determination and the heart. Every single player who wears this shirt is lucky, unfortunately we didn’t turn up today.
“Michael will have a word with us. He’ll speak the truth, we’ll take note of it and I’m sure we will have a more determined heart-full performance on Thursday.”
O’Neill’s squad featured five players that plied their trade in the Ladbrokes Premiership last season, but only McGovern would make it into the starting XI trying to avoid being the first home nation to return nil points from their opening match.
Faced with the creative talent of Milik, Jakub Blaszczykowski and of course Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, Northern Ireland set up with five across the back and Lafferty ploughing a lone furrow up front in a bid to absorb pressure and break.
It sort of half worked for the most part as they rode their luck and defended in numbers without offering much going forward.
After five minutes Malik offered the first threat as he ominously swung his boot at a cross 10 yards out, only for him to miss the ball completely.
On the half hour the Ajax forward should have put his country in front. Firstly his pot shot from 30 yards was gathered by McGovern, while just a moment later he was allowed to dance through the Northern Irish defence for a clear sight of goal deep inside the box before his wild swipe propelled the ball into the crowd.
McGovern would eventually be called into action as Poland began to find their range.
A quick shot from Bartosz Kapustka seemed goalbound from 20 yards until the Accies man’s intervention, who threw himself to his right to parry the ball over.
Keen to get his team further up the field, O’Neill took off Paddy McNair and threw on Leeds United winger Stuart Dallas.
While it did give support to Lafferty, Northern Ireland’s game plan was rocked just six minutes into the second half as Milik finally found his range.
Blaszczykowski drove to the byline and then pulled a terrific ball back to his fellow countryman who controlled the ball 10 yards out before drilling a low shot through the legs of Craig Cathcart and under McGovern.
Substitute Conor Washington went agonisingly close when through on goal only for Wojciech Szczesnny to block his effort, while former Ranger midfielder Steven Davies came agonisingly close late on as he just failed to latch on to a clever, quick set-piece.
Next up for Northern Ireland is the meeting with Ukraine in the Stade des Lumieres in Lyon.
Something must surely be garnered from this meeting ahead of a final game with Germany if the path to the knockout stages is to be illuminated.
Lessons must be taken from an encounter where, particularly in the first half, too much respect was shown by O’Neill’s men to an opponent that should have been just about within reach.
One must think the same mistake will not be made twice.
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