Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland side picked up just their second win of UEFA Euro 2024 qualification, with what was their sixth-consecutive victory over minnows San Marino.
While it might not have been a qualifying campaign to remember, the San Marino clash presented Northern Ireland with the chance to record a confidence-boosting victory.
It didn’t take long for the home side to get the scoring underway, as Paul Smyth netted the opener after five minutes, with an acrobatic right-footed volley from eight yards out.
Northern Ireland’s second would arrive just six minutes later, when Smyth turned provider for Josh Magennis, who swept home a driven cross inside the penalty area to double the home side’s advantage.
A further two goals for Green and White Army would be ruled out for offside offences before the break, including a sensational lob from Smyth, but all in all, it was as comfortable a first half as Northern Ireland would’ve expected.
In full control of the contest, with three points in their sights, Northern Ireland picked up from where they left off in the first half, by bombarding the San Marino net with chance after chance.
However, unlike the first period, they failed to find a way beyond Elia Benedettini, with the San Marino goalkeeper making a quick-fire double save to deny both Isaac Price and Callum Marshall.
Dale Taylor would also come close, but the Wycombe Wanderers winger’s shot fell the wrong side of the far-right post.
The second-half San Marino resistance wouldn’t last though, with Northern Ireland getting the long overdue third goal in the closing stages of the clash.
All of the hard work was done by substitute Conor Washington, who wriggled away from three opposition defenders, before rifling a shot straight down the throat of goalkeeper Benedettini, but Conor McMenamin was in the right place at the right time to squeeze home the rebound.
A trip to Germany for next summer’s Euros was written off a long time ago, but O’Neill will be keen to see his players go out on a high in what remains of the qualification campaign.
Attention now switches towards a clash against Slovenia on Tuesday night for Northern Ireland – an opponent they’ve beaten just once in a competitive fixture since September 2010.
Man of the Match: Paul Smyth (Northern Ireland)
