Healy saves point for Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifying campaign lies in tatters despite record goalscorer David Healy securing a last-gasp equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw with Azerbaijan at Windsor Park. Rauf Aliyev scored a screamer to give the Group F strugglers a fifth-minute lead and Northern Ireland conspired to waste at least half a dozen glorious chances to equalise inside 90 minutes.

Craig Cathcart and Chris Baird spurned four of the best between them and it took Healy's first goal in four years, deep in added time, to avert what would have been an embarrassing defeat. The result leaves Northern Ireland with three points from four games and all but out of the reckoning, as well as consigning last month's heroic draw in Portugal firmly to the history books.

O'Neill started the evening by opting to leave one of his few established Premier League players on the bench, West Brom's Chris Brunt left out in favour of Shane Ferguson, Dean Shiels and Niall McGinn, the latter looking to build on his goalscoring heroics against Portugal. Burnley left-back Danny Lafferty also earned a competitive debut after Ryan McGivern failed a fitness test.

The home side began positively and should probably have taken a third-minute lead when McGinn floated over a precise cross for Kyle Lafferty, who somehow headed over from just six yards. That miss was punished within 90 seconds as Azerbaijan took a surprise lead with their first attack.

Azerbaijan fire first
Javid Huseynov won the ball in midfield and laid off to Aliyev, who bent in a stunning shot from 30 yards before embarking on ecstatic celebrations. Azerbaijan looked dangerous on the counter-attack and only a Gareth McAuley block denied Aliyev the chance to try his luck a second time.

Northern Ireland, meanwhile, were enjoying plenty of time on the ball but struggling to make the final pass count. McGinn worked rookie goalkeeper Salahat Aghayev with a first-time shot from the edge of the area and Shiels played an inviting ball across the face of goal but Azerbaijan survived unscathed on both occasions.

After 26 minutes Steven Davis chipped a fine ball over the back four to give Kyle Lafferty a one-on-one attempt but a loose first touch allowed Aghayev to smother. Another gilt-edged chance came and went on the half-hour, Shiels finding Cathcart with a cushioned header across goal and the Blackpool defender nodding wide from a wonderful position.

Roy Carroll faced a hairy moment when Vugar Nadirov's deflected shot briefly appeared to be heading for the top corner, but the veteran goalkeeper just got back. There was enough time for one more chance before half-time, Danny Lafferty heading over after getting on the end of Ferguson's hanging cross.

Home frustrations
O'Neill resisted the temptation to send on Brunt during the break and the equaliser almost arrived just two minutes into the second period. McAuley nodded down Davis' free-kick and Cathcart controlled the ball on his chest before blazing over from the six-yard line. Chances continued to flow, McGinn and Baird the latest to go close, but Kyle Lafferty was booked for a blatant dive after 56 minutes, earning a one-match ban in the process.

If not for Carroll things would quickly have gone from bad to worse. He raced from his area and produced two sliding tackles to scramble the ball clear when a breakaway goal seemed certain.

On the hour mark Baird produced arguably the worst miss yet, heading Ferguson's cross wide at the far post when scoring seemed easier. Nine minutes later he spurned another glorious chance when heading substitute Paddy McCourt's cross wide from an unmarked position.

McCourt's jinking runs visibly lifted the home side and Brunt followed him off the bench with 24 minutes to go. McCourt beat two men as he cut into the box from the left and refused to go down despite a wild challenge.

By now the hosts' frustrations were apparent after every unsuccessful move and O'Neill played his final card by sending on Healy for Cathcart. It looked like even that would not be enough but five minutes into a generous period of injury time, the fan favourite drilled home a free-kick to rescue a dramatic point.

That is unlikely to be enough to rescue Northern Ireland's slim qualifying hopes but it did save his side from one of their most ignominious defeats.

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Luxembourg strike late to deny Northern Ireland

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Northern Ireland had to accept a demoralising home draw against Luxembourg, after a match they dominated ended with the visitors scoring a heavily deflected equaliser in the 86th minute.

The evening had started so promisingly for Michael O'Neill's side, with Dean Shiels claiming his first international goal with a deft finish in the 14th minute. The hosts had nearly all of the meaningful chances thereafter, with three goals disallowed and Chris Brunt hitting the post, only for Daniel Da Mota's shot to squirm home via Ryan McGivern's shoulder.

Coming on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Russia, Northern Ireland's 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifying hopes are already hanging by a thread.

Having set his team out for containment in Moscow, with Kyle Lafferty often stranded at the head of a defensive 4-5-1 formation, O'Neill selected a more attack-minded XI in Belfast. Shiels returned in the No10 role, with Shane Ferguson back on the left side of midfield and the more aggressive McGivern replacing Craig Cathcart behind him.

Northern Ireland started with real purpose, almost scoring in the first minute. The chance came from a corner, won after good interplay between Lafferty and Shiels.

Brunt floated it to West Bromwich Albion team-mate Gareth McAuley who, after winning the header, directed the ball straight at the goalkeeper. A loose pass from McGivern gifted Aurelien Joachim space to shoot, only for Jonny Evans to make the block.

Then Northern Ireland took the lead through Shiels. Somewhat surprisingly Evans played the role of creator, surging upfield and exchanging neat passes with the Rangers man. Evans' second pass cut open the defence and Shiels lifted his shot deftly over the oncoming Jonathan Joubert.

After 21 minutes Evans thought he had made it 2-0 himself from a neat corner routine, but the goal was ruled out due to a push.

There was disappointing news in the 29th minute when McAuley received his second booking in as many matches to rule him out of next month's trip to Portugal. The hosts had a second effort disallowed soon after, Lafferty stroking a fine effort into the top corner after good work from Chris Baird, only to be pulled up for offside.

In the five minutes before half-time, Northern Ireland had three presentable chances to add to their lead. Shiels failed to make the most of Guy Blaise's slip, then Lafferty chipped high and wide after being teed up by Brunt, who himself might have shot. The West Brom man then found Baird with a bullet corner, but the latter's header flashed inches wide of the far post.

Luxembourg sent on Maurice Deville to lead the line for the second half in place of Joachim and they looked a sturdier proposition as the second half got under way. Winger Mario Mutsch attempted to stretch the home back four five minutes into the second period but Evans was on hand with a forceful sliding tackle.

A McGivern overlap set Northern Ireland back on the attack but although Shiels got his head to Steven Davis' cross, a red shirt blocked it on its way towards goal. Unbelievably, the home side had a third effort struck off by the officials on the hour, Lafferty in an offside position when he sidefooted Ferguson's cross home. Had their advantage not been so slender, Northern Ireland may even have found some humour in the situation.

Lafferty, given onside for once, saw a 20-yard shot brush the outside of the post via Joubert's gloves but otherwise the closing stages were an increasingly nervy affair as Luxembourg pressed forward.

Davis gave Brunt the chance to ease the pressure with seven minutes left but, after meeting the carefully-measured pass, he rolled his shot against the base of the post.

Then, just moments later, the sucker punch arrived. With too many green shirts committed forward, Luxembourg surged up the pitch and a shot opened up for Da Mota. His effort appeared to be heading wide until it took a huge deflection off McGivern's shoulder to leave Roy Carroll stranded.

The Luxembourg bench celebrated emphatically, leaving the home fans to boo their players off at the final whistle.

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