Northern Ireland just played to a goalless draw at home against Hungary, but manager Michael O’Neill is still feeling “positive” at the halfway point of their Nations League window. While the homecoming to Windsor Park after 315 days didn’t deliver the late-game drama of their win over Georgia on Friday night, this result sees Northern Ireland sitting joint-top of League B with Ukraine, racking up four points from their first two matches. That’s a strong start for the team, even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect it.
Unbeaten, But Not Undramatic
This wasn’t some boring, meaningless draw. O’Neill wasn’t just whistling past the graveyard, he truly believed in his squad. “We played a very good side, I thought we were more than a match for the opposition,” O’Neill said, pointing out that Hungary lost their opener 1-0 to Ukraine. The big takeaway? “It’s another clean sheet for us, which is positive,” he noted, even if they “just couldn’t find maybe enough to create that clear-cut chance that we’d win the game.” Chances were tough to come by, with both defenses dominating the day. Patrick Kelly slammed a shot off the crossbar in the first half for Northern Ireland, and Isaac Price saw his effort punched away by Hungary’s Balazs Toth.
Referee Woes and Tired Legs
It wouldn’t be international soccer without some referee controversy, right? After Dan Ballard controversially gave up a penalty against Georgia, Shea Charles had a penalty appeal waved away for a similar incident right before Kelly’s crossbar shot. O’Neill, with a sharp quip, noted, “the referee never seems to make the walk for us to the side of the pitch. It never seems to happen for us.” Hungary’s Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai was pretty much shut down, struggling to create any clear chances just like Northern Ireland. Pierce Charles in goal for Northern Ireland only had to make one save, on a shot from Alex Toth late in the game after a “lethargic clearance,” and was otherwise untroubled. O’Neill admitted he saw “two tired teams” at the end, saying their 5,000-mile trip from Georgia for the first game made their preparation “more difficult.” He felt Hungary “got a little bit stronger towards the end” too.
No Room for Antics
One thing that definitely got under O’Neill’s skin was the perceived play acting from some of the visiting players. Ethan Galbraith, captain Shea Charles, Jamie Donley, and Isaac Price all got booked by Spanish referee Ricardo de Burgos. O’Neill was clear, saying he was “disappointed with some of the yellow cards that were given, and I was disappointed with some of the Hungarian players’ behaviour on the pitch, holding their face and screaming.” He insisted there was “no need for that. It was an honest, competitive game. We didn’t need the nature of the simulation or the antics.” He finished by declaring, “We want that away and out of the game. That’s why the referee has to speed the game up.”
Next up, Northern Ireland hits the road again. They face Ukraine in Slovakia on Friday for their third game of this quadruple-header. It’s going to be another difficult test, but keeping that unbeaten streak alive and staying atop the group is everything.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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