15/08/2012 International Match of the Day

Welcome to Windsor Park, where tonight, Northern Ireland have a

final friendly before the start of the World Cup campaign next month.

The number of the opposition are ahead of that opening qualifier

against Russia in just over three weeks' time. This evening's match

also affords Northern Ireland fans, players and officials an

opportunity to salute the passing of former captain Alan McDonald,

who died suddenly in June. No one I have spent a career being a bag

of nerves. I have seen top-class players going into the toilet and

being sick before matches. And MacDonald puts on a pair of boots

Anyone who says that is a fix can come and see me, and I will tell

them that was not a fix. We bloody Tonight, Alan McDonald's son Joshua

and brother Roy led the Northern Ireland and Finland teams out. Alan

was a fine servant and Northern Ireland. Capped 50 times, he was

also a member of the squad which played at the world finals in

Mexico. Alan was a big footballing centre-half, and when he was made

captain for his country, is said it was the proudest moment of his

career. And there was a minute's applause as a fitting mark of

Well, joining me, a man who knew Alan well, a former international

team-mate Michael Hughes. Lovely tribute tonight to a big hero of

Northern Ireland football. Fantastic tribute, well deserved.

Big Allen, a total gentleman of the game. Always kept us young lads in

check when we first came into the squad. He was the one we would all

look up to. We just respect to the man. Immense character. The new

Northern Ireland manager will be looking for some of Alan McDonald's

fighting spirit this evening. What will he want from the friendly

tonight? I think he will just be looking for a win, to get some

confidence. He will also be looking for a performance, but the result

will take precedence over the performance. Michael wants to try

and keep the ball and play football on the ground. I think we can look

forward to the guys keeping it down and playing through midfield. We

have got big Kyle Lafferty back. He is a big player for us, because he

gives us a presence up front. If we need to go along to him, we have

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that option. Time to join our match Russia.

The Dutch referee is ready, and we blue, Northern Ireland are looking

splendid in their new Adidas kit. And what a difference a year makes.

Last August, Northern Ireland were hammering the Faeroe Islands. Kyle

Lafferty was up offside. Northern Ireland hammered the Faeroe Islands

4-0 here in the European Championships. Since then, they

have played six, lost 6, a stat which Michael O'Neill will be

hoping to end this evening. He will also be hoping to erase the memory

of that mauling in Amsterdam in June by the Netherlands. Never play

an international in June with a defeated team. That was not a bad

missed the last three internationals because of injury.

He just moved to Sion in Switzerland. But he was keen to

come back and play in this game, Michael O'Neill was telling me. It

is good to see the big target man back in action. As you know as well

as I do, the weather has been awful today. I wonder what it has been

like in Switzerland. The pitch is looking well, though, for Northern

Ireland's first international of the new season. First international

for the new boss. There was that 6- 0 demolition job in Amsterdam.

Finland are 72nd in the world rankings. Northern Ireland have

sadly slipped out of the top 100. They are 101. But you don't want

internationals against Easy PC sides. Finland aren't one of the

giants, but it will be a good, competitive game, just what

Northern Ireland need before their opening qualifier next month

Carroll did well. Hard to believe he played the second half against

Holland. That was his first for six years. And his last start, would

you believe, was September 2006. and then went into exile. That was

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United many moons ago as a boy. of composure. Carroll to the rescue.

pitch. We have had so much rain problems during three seasons, so

his fitness may not be up to speed. Dean Shiels has already scored for

Rangers this season. Nice move for him, or is it? Down at the bottom

tear if Scottish football. Some will wonder. That was a good ball.

Not a bad second touch! Devastating finish. And the first international

goal for the 21-year-old Newcastle youngster. What a start for the

manager. Seven minutes gone, and what a goal that was. Good ball.

Could run by Dean Shiels. It took a deflection. But look at that for a

touch. Bingo! He really hammered it home. Great left foot, and there is

the proof. Shiels did well in the build-up. He did even better with

the finish. What a lift for the young man. And for the green and

Cathcart with the tackle on Teemu Pukki. It had to be timed just

missing three internationals, and he is back with his 9th

international goal. I was there the night in Helsinki six years ago

tomorrow, when Northern Ireland beat Finland. And he got one of the

goals, his first international goal that night. She has again looking

sharp, looking dangerous. Great international as a Southampton

sharp to the ball. They haven't let the men in blue play. They look

the far post. Tim Sparv, his first international goal. That is a great

finish. He had to turn and he had to get power in it and he did!

Carroll had no chance. That is a remember him, Dundee United with

Michael O'Neill, Aberdeen, Bolton, bustling centre forward. He could

have paid for it. Teemu Pukki - he could hard I will have missed it.

He is smiling and so he should be. He looks distraught, so too does

that man there, and with good reason. All of a sudden from 2-0,

it's 2-2. Brunt didn't see the man at all. That is cruel. It's a lack

of concentration as well, to be fair. It is one of the things that

Michael O'Neill was trying to stamp out. You can't do that. Or you pay.

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Let's see what happened here. He cut inside, he tried to bend it.

Did the keeper get a touch? It must have been off McAuley. The referee

brings the first half to an end. Ferguson after seven minutes made

it 1-0 to Northern Ireland. 2-0 Lafferty after 19 minutes. And then

the Finns hit back - Sparv 21 minutes, 2-1, and three minutes

later, that man there, Pukki, a dreadful mistake from Chris Brunt,

he made it 2-2. So it is a very interesting friendly and a good

build-up towards the World Cup campaign. Half-time - Northern

his ninth cap. He will be 28 next Wednesday. There's young Jamie, 26-

year-old from Derby County. He is store for us? There's never been a

draw - played six, both sides have That was very dangerous. Across the

face of the goal. Not a man to put it in. Once again, Dean Shiels.

He's having a nice game, Dean Shiels. Well done McGivern. Good

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movement from Dean Shiels and no made them pay. He is only on the

pitch as a substitute. A bit of indecision there. It fell for him

and he cracked it first time. Luckily, for Northern Ireland, high

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the centre forward. The finish the right! The keeper had no

- it is, but the keeper has made a mess of it. Support's arriving.

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Lafferty has it. Davis has made a goals. He is the current Finnish

Player of the Year and you can see why. He is out to take the corner.

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across to Sparv. Well cut out by international goal. It was a clear

header. It was a good ball in by Uronen. He will know that was a

be interesting to see this. They are looking for a handball. If the

arm is out, it might have been a penalty. They think it was. Oh yes,

the arm is out. I think they have a Well, Davis, he couldn't keep it

down. A pensive look from the manager. That should have been a

line by McAuley. Good defending by the big man. Northern Ireland, well

and truly caught. Slick movement. Almost a very good finish by Riski,

it was. A good run by the number 11, but better defending. Here they

come again. That will be a free- kick. On another night that should

certainly hacked him down. Kolehmainen was going through and

man who plays in Italy, Heternaj, has scored his second international

goal. He will remember this one. No chance for Lee Camp. That is a

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dagger through the heart of spot. It was actually Paterson. He

Paterson, 25-year-old from Burnley. We remember Daniel Sjolund from his

three years at Liverpool. Lee Hodson is coming off. Oliver

Norwood is going on, a young man 3-3. He takes it! One of the

biggest cheers of the night. First international goal for Paterson,

and he finished it with some aplomb. Keeper went at the wrong way.

Windsor Park lifted. We are all square again. We could be heading

for the first draw ever between the two countries. That young lady

Well, there has been plenty to talk about as the two great team-mates

of yesteryear and Dundee United shake hands. Mixu Paatelainen and

Michael O'Neill. There is Paterson, cool as you like, happy to salvage

a draw between the two countries. We now look forward to Russia next

Michael, how do begin to assess that? Plenty of action. There was a

lot to take in. We started well. Scored two very good goals to get

ahead. I am obviously disappointed to lose two goals the way we did,

particularly the second goal, which was a basic error. But in the

second half, I thought Finland were good in possession for long periods

of the game, and we were careless at times. But to be fair, when we

did possess the ball, we created opportunities. We deserved to

opportunity to get the equaliser and it was a good penalty. Talk us

through the goal? At that stage, everything was going great. Yes,

the two goals we got were by passing the ball and working hard.

Once we stopped that, they got their three goals. But it was good

to get a goal. I missed a few games through injury last season. Overall,

I am pleased. There are things I am disappointed with, but I am pleased

that the young players did well. Of done, friendlies can be drab

affairs, but tonight, thoroughly entertaining. Fabulous game of

football. Thoroughly enjoyable. Three good goals for us, and three

not so good goals for them. Lots of good play by both teams. I am sure

the fans will have gone home happy. The first goals from Michael

O'Neill's campaign. I am sure he will be thrilled with the first two.

Absolute crackers. Fantastic, strength from Ferguson in the top

corner. And big Lafferty's done well, too. At that point, we were

cruising. We were well on top. We were dominating. We had had a good

half-hour of possession in the game, and we look great. Michael will be

very happy with that aspect of the game. On the other side, the goals

but we conceded were not so good. They never are. Their right back

caused us problems all night. Their goals probably could have been

avoided. But on the night, our lads played really well. We probably

deserved slightly more than we got. But conceding three goals on the

night will again be a worry. Yes. It is always a worry to concede

goals at any level, especially at international level. We have not

been the greatest scorers of goals. But having said that, what you

sacrifice going forward is sometimes defensive solidarity.

When you play an attractive brand of football but we all want to come

and watch, you do leave yourself open at the back. What about them

and's third goal tonight? There was no stopping that. It was a wonder

goal, to say the least. Right in the top corner. The goalkeeper

could not do anything to avoid that. He just drilled that into the top

corner. Is one of the big positives tonight the front pairing of Kyle

Lafferty and Dean Shiels? It looked very lively. It did. Dean Shiels

was fantastic. He came almost back into the midfield to pick balls up.

He was very hard for their defenders to pick up. Any time the

ball was played long to be Kyle, he would pick it up. They looked like

a real threat. It looks like a partnership that could be worked on

overtime. Not quite as entertaining in Belgrade this evening. But we

certainly got value for money here at Windsor Park. Now we look