Northern Eire’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 are all however over after they slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat, shedding 4-2 to Slovenia in Ljubljana.
Though Isaac Worth’s first worldwide objective shortly cancelled out Andraz Sporar’s third-minute strike, Petar Stojanovic’s strike deflected off Jonny Evans to place the hosts again in entrance in a frantic begin to the match, and Benjamin Sesko added a 3rd earlier than the break.
Evans acquired Northern Eire again into it with a deflected strike within the 53rd minute, however solely briefly as Sporar acquired his second moments later.
Defeat leaves Northern Eire three locations and 7 factors off second in Group H going into Sunday’s journey to Kazakhstan, with the dream of heading to Germany subsequent summer season successfully lifeless.
After three straight 1-0 losses Michael O’Neill might once more declare his aspect had not been vastly outplayed, with Conor McMenamin notably impressing as they created extra probabilities than Slovenia.
However Northern Eire’s defensive solidity abandoned them they usually merely do not need the firepower to match the likes of RB Leipzig’s Sesko.
The 20-year-old was concerned as Slovenia breached the Northern Eire defence inside three minutes. Shea Charles missed an interception and Sesko simply flicked the ball into the trail of Sporar, who had time to beat the uncovered Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
It was a dreadful begin, however in some way Northern Eire roused themselves to equalise with their first objective because the opening qualifier towards San Marino in March.
McMenamin and Matty Kennedy – incomes his first cap since March 2021 – got here into the aspect as O’Neill caught to his phrase to decide on gamers in type at membership stage, with all however Evans having been regulars within the opening weeks of the season, and each had been concerned within the equaliser.
McMenamin’s cross from the fitting was geared toward Kennedy and when his shot was blocked by Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak, it fell for Worth to fireplace in.
However quickly after Slovenia had been again in entrance. Stojanovic left Ciaron Brown in a heap as he minimize in from the fitting, with the Sampdoria man’s cross taking a deflection off the luckless Evans to beat Peacock-Farrell as Northern Eire appealed in useless for a foul.
It was the final involvement for Brown, who turned the seventeenth Northern Eire participant to undergo an harm on this marketing campaign, hobbling off to get replaced by Craig Cathcart – taking part in his first aggressive soccer since June a day after signing for Belgian membership Kortrijk.
McMenamin’s cross narrowly evaded Paddy McNair however it was Slovenia who thought they’d a 3rd 10 minutes earlier than half-time when Sesko completed from shut vary, with the loud celebrations minimize brief as soon as the stadium DJ belatedly seen the flag was up for offside and play had resumed.
However Sesko would have his objective earlier than the break. After Kennedy missed an opportunity to clear, Sesko wriggled away from Evans along with his again to objective earlier than hitting a robust low left-footed strike on the flip to search out the nook of the web.
O’Neill despatched on Josh Magennis and Conor Washington for Kennedy and Dion Charles on the break however it was Slovenia who threatened once more, with Sporar seeing a robust effort cannon again off the crossbar from shut vary.
Hope was rekindled within the 53rd minute when a deflected strike from Evans beat the scrambling Oblak.
However that hope lasted barely three minutes earlier than Sporar raced by way of the centre of the pitch, rounding Peacock-Farrell and rolling the ball into an empty web, and Northern Eire couldn’t capitalise on late probabilities for Magennis, McMenamin, and substitute Paul Smyth.
Northern Eire’s harm curse struck once more quarter-hour from time because the substitute Cathcart hobbled off, as if to underline the issue that has dogged Northern Eire since earlier than this doomed marketing campaign started.