UEFA Women's Nations League - Play-offs - 2nd Leg
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland1MontenegroMontenegro1

Northern Ireland 1 Montenegro 1 (3-1 on agg): Tanya Oxtoby's side remain in League B

By Lauren McCannBBC Sport NI at Windsor Park
Watch: Northern Ireland see off Montenegro in play-off

Northern Ireland will remain in League B of the Nations League after they drew 1-1 with Montenegro in the second leg of their promotion/relegation play-off.

Leading 2-0 from the first leg, Northern Ireland fell behind to Medina Desic's 66th-minute header.

The goal sparked Tanya Oxtoby's side into life and they were level seven minutes later when Simone Magill met Ellie Mason's knockdown and finished from close range.

Magill also hit the crossbar earlier.

Northern Ireland made a bright start to the game as Joely Andrews dragged a low shot wide in the opening minute.

They were indebted to their goalkeeper Maddy Harvey-Clifford for keeping their lead intact on eight minutes, however, as she produced a huge save to deny Armisa Kuc from close range.

Jasna Djokovic cut out a loose pass from Chloe McCarron and played in Montenegro's record goalscorer Kuc, whose low shot was palmed away by the Crusaders goalkeeper.

Momentum continued to shift from one side to the other in a frantic opening to the game, with Rebecca McKenna surging forward from right-back and delivering a dangerous low cross, but Andrews and Magill got in each other's way.

After their dominant opening and much like the first leg, the hosts struggled with their final pass.

Their two-goal advantage was almost reduced when Helena Bozic headed wide from a free-kick on 35 minutes.

Northern Ireland's clearest opportunity came on the stroke of half-time, with Magill threading the ball through to Caragh Hamilton, who raced into the box before seeing her low shot saved by Anastasija Krstovic.

The ball still trickled towards the goalline before it was cleared off the line.

Magill strikes after Montenegro scare

Clear-cut chances continued to be at a premium in the second half, until Montenegro's opener arrived.

Simone Magill
Magill has now scored 25 goals for Northern Ireland

Jelena Karlicic whipped in a corner and Desic evaded Rebecca McKenna to power a bullet header past Harvey-Clifford.

The goal seemed to jolt Northern Ireland into life, and they went close 71 minutes, when Hamilton fizzed in a low cross to Magill, who, on the slide, hit the crossbar.

The rebound fell invitingly for substitute Danielle Maxwell, but her low shot was tipped away Krstovic.

The goalkeeper, though, was powerless to prevent the home side from levelling a minute later.

Maxwell floated the ball to Mason at the back post and the defender headed the ball into the path of Magill, who slotted home.

The game really began to open up in the final 15 minutes with chances for both sides to grab a winner on the night.

Masa Tomasevic saw her shot from outside the area pushed away by Harvey-Clifford before Sladjana Bulatovic headed over.

Mason's audacious lofted effort from range landed on the roof of the net for Northern Ireland with Marissa Callaghan also going close.

Line-ups

Northern Ireland

Formation 3-1-4-2

  • 23Harvey-Clifford
  • 2McKenna
  • 4RobsonSubstituted forMasonat 45'minutes
  • 6RaffertyBooked at 90mins
  • 20AndrewsSubstituted forCallaghanat 45'minutes
  • 17Hamilton
  • 7McCarron
  • 18BellSubstituted forHallidayat 72'minutes
  • 3VanceBooked at 90mins
  • 14WadeSubstituted forMaxwellat 60'minutes
  • 9Magill

Substitutes

  • 1Turner
  • 5Mason
  • 8Callaghan
  • 10Halliday
  • 11Maxwell
  • 12Perry
  • 13Burrows
  • 15Finnegan
  • 16Caldwell
  • 19McLaughlin
  • 21Beattie
  • 22Dugdale

Montenegro

Formation 4-4-2

  • 12Krstovic
  • 10Karlicic
  • 4Saranovic
  • 14SaricSubstituted forPopovicat 45'minutes
  • 17Djukic
  • 7Bulatovic
  • 5DjurkovicSubstituted forTomasevicat 76'minutes
  • 8DjokovicSubstituted forVujadinovicat 90+2'minutes
  • 6Bozic
  • 9DesicBooked at 53mins
  • 11Kuc

Substitutes

  • 1Kalac
  • 2Radunovic
  • 3Popovic
  • 13Zugic
  • 15Boricic
  • 16Osmajic
  • 18Simonovic
  • 19Cadenovic
  • 20Djurdjevac
  • 21Janjusevic
  • 22Tomasevic
  • 23Vujadinovic
Referee:
Hristiana Guteva
Attendance:
4,085

Match Stats

Home TeamNorthern IrelandAway TeamMontenegro
Possession
Home64%
Away36%
Shots
Home16
Away16
Shots on Target
Home5
Away8
Corners
Home12
Away5
Fouls
Home13
Away9

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Scores, Results & Fixtures

Tuesday 27th February 2024

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Netherlands6402146812
2England6402158712
3Belgium6222710-38
4Scotland6024315-122

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1France651091816
2Austria631278-110
3Norway61239815
4Portugal6105513-83

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Germany64111431113
2Denmark6402106412
3Iceland630348-49
4Wales6015415-111

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Spain65012391415
2Italy631285310
3Sweden6213810-27
4Switzerland6105217-153

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Republic of Ireland66002021818
2Hungary622211928
3Northern Ireland6213913-47
4Albania6015218-161

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Finland65101821616
2Croatia6303510-59
3Slovakia622278-18
4Romania6015111-101

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Poland6510114716
2Serbia6312105510
3Ukraine620457-26
4Greece6105313-103

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Czech Republic6411114713
2Bos-Herze632186211
3Slovenia613249-56
4Belarus602437-42

I

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Malta65101311216
2Latvia63121761110
3Andorra6114217-154
4Moldova6033412-83

J

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Turkey66001601618
2Lithuania612349-55
3Luxembourg6123611-55
4Georgia6123511-65

K

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Azerbaijan651092716
2Montenegro64021441012
3Cyprus621336-37
4Faroe Islands6006115-140

L

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Israel65102121916
2Estonia63121111010
3Kazakhstan62226518
4Armenia6006525-200

M

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Kosovo4310102810
2Bulgaria412147-35
3North Macedonia401338-51
View full UEFA Women's Nations League tables

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