Northern Ireland v Serbia Match of the Day Northern Ireland

Hello and welcome to Windsor Park on a pivotal night of European

Championship football. It's Northern Ireland against Serbia.

Both sides chasing that crucial second place in group C. Both in

Three points tonight is a must. Pushing as that ball goes over.

It's in! Aaron Hughes, I thought he It's in! Aaron Hughes, I thought he

was never going to score. That is class. We know. Match commentary

and team news comes compliments of Jacqui Fullerton.

The big talking point about the Northern Ireland line-up is all

about the men missing. Lafferty and last month's Man of the Match

McCourt both missing because of injury. Their absence is a major

setback. On the plus side, Chris Brunt is back from sus suspension

and he will Healy up front. Evans will be on the right. McCann on the

left. Serbia, they're missing Manchester

United defender Vidic but a number of good names here. Ivanovic of

Chelsea. Midfielder Jovanovic had a spell at Liverpool. The Captain is

Stankovic from Inter Milan. And Tosic, he had a year and a half at

Manchester United, will help Pantelic up front. They get the

goals in Belgrade back in March. Away we go.

Here is an early break. McCann. Good challenge there from Steve

Davis. It's one of those special nights at Windsor Park, both sides

really need the win to keep their euro dreams alive. Expect a

physical contest. Here is Stankovic. The play-maker.

Not a bad ball from the skipper. Tosic.

Dangerous ball in. McAuley there to deal with it. Davis was fouled on

the way threw. Northern Ireland get the free kick. Davis, he missed the

2-1 defeat in Serbia. But an early warning there from Stankovic, what

uplifted that 4-0 win over the Faroe Islands, in Serbia's last

qualifier that was in March, they they're favourites tonight, they've

four wins in the last 12. They've no wins in their last four. They've

scored only two goals in their last four games. Who knows? Virtually a

sellout crowd of 15,500 at Windsor Park to see it. No Serbian fans, of

course, they're banned after the trouble their fans caused in Italy

a few months ago. He had to go through on the challenge. Again it

was Ninkovic. Baird, he did well and then he made a little mistake.

Chance for the Serbs and Stankovic to put Northern Ireland on the back

foot. Skipper decides to leave it. It's given away. Healy, he's had to

come deep. No way around Kolarov, the man from Man City.

Northern Ireland, you could get 13- 5 the Serbs 6-5. Their coach, a

former Arsenal player, he said I think tongue in cheek, his team

were the underdogs tonight. It's all mind games, isn't it? Get it

not play well in the first half, but they regrouped, they changed

tactics and won the game in the Brings a save from the keeper.

Chris Brunt has yet to score, well he has got one goal, in fact. He

hasn't scored in this campaign. He well. Evans finds Baird. Back to

Hughes, has to go long. Ninkovic. Here he is again. Jovanovic, the

man who had a dreadful time at Liverpool. Causing problems for

Northern Ireland. He hits it, oh, it's off the bar! It took a

deflection. He's disappointed. He was unlucky, as well. That could

have been screaming into the top corner, but for a little deflection.

I think we will see it here. Jovanovic, on to his left foot.

There is the deflection, off Aaron Hughes. Just there.

skipper. Pantelic. Stankovic couldn't pick up on it. Good run by

the skipper. He's got one goal in these championships and he's

winning his 99th Tonight, the 32- year-old from Inter. He's had a

long successful career. There is the great play. But a woeful finish,

it has to be said. He will not want Johnny Evans. Hughes. Good pressure

from the Serbs. And Healy doesn't have too much chance for the long

He is now with CSKA Moscow after a poor stint at Old Trafford. Took a

deflection again but Camp no problems. He has plenty of problems

at club level at the minute, Lee Camp at Nottingham Forest, they've

made a poor start in the championship. Chris Brunt. We need

him to see more of the ball to weave a bit of his left-footed

magic. Tosic. He is a tricky too much of the number nine but

Northern Ireland will be happy about that. Here is Tosic. He gets

a corner. Evans did well. He knew he was behind him. The man from

Manchester United thawarts the man ball comes in, the keeper got there.

It falls to Stankovic. Just couldn't keep it down. A little

rueful smile there. He has had a couple of chances. He has

squandered a couple of chances. This really isn't a chance but it

will have been a very good goal had he kept it down. Funny enough,

being a goalkeeper, Lee Camp will be enjoying this, they like to be

kept busy, strut their stuff. He has had a couple of good saves

already, Lee Camp. But he is Danger here. Oh! Just over. Well,

Lee Camp, his heart must have been pounding then. I am not sure he

made the right decision to come out when he did. McAuley with a haunted

look. Does the keeper come, does he stay? He was in no-man's-land and

the striker did well but just couldn't lob it beneath the

crossbar. this wet night, as the rain comes

of the evening. Frank Foley, Grant McCann has not been but so far in

Evans putting his body on the line. -- block. Real danger again for the

home team. Johnny events, brave as you like, to keep it away from Lee

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 45 seconds

staff, it has been a reigning all that was required. The Northern

Ireland crowd quiet for a moment. They realise their team are second

best at the moment, without Northern Ireland players are less

than happy with that challenge. -- might be at be king. -- a booking.

It is a yellow card. The crowd were wanting a red card. It was a very

awkward challenge. Healy was putting his head down. Brave as you

like, David Healy, but he felt that, no question. Was he fortunate not

to get a red? In injury time at the end of this first half, into the

Serbian half, that a ball goes forward. It would be a good time to

score. But not with a finish like referee. The chances have all come

to Serbia. Johnny Evans, a couple of tremendous blocks. Northern

Ireland have been strong in defence, in attack and non-existent. At

half-time, it is Nell Tunnell. -- 1964, the debut, along with the

George Best, against Wales. His final cap, 12th June, 1986, beaten

by Brazil in the World Cup finals on his 43rd birthday. Another

he will have planned it. He has had to rally his troops. Those fans are

doing their best. It is a very poor night, weather Wise. How will it

end up at result wise? It is looking ominous, but stranger

things have happened in football. Second half under way. 45 crucial

Serbs. Northern Ireland will be grateful they are not getting that

here. This is good for Northern Ireland, it is very good, but not

good enough. Healy was there, but good ball, but not quite. Healey

and branches are left wondering first team games at Old Trafford

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 45 seconds

a link-up with a D Evans boys. Johnny on the plank, Corry Evans in

not get up highly enough. It has been a bright start to this half by

Evans and Corry Evans will miss the game in Estonia. He had already

been booked so that will add to Nigel Worthington's problems. The

21-year-old is out of the game in themselves out of trouble and there

may well be trouble for Northern Ireland but Johnny Evans is there

once again. Having a solid game. Just shows you what a regular place

for Manchester United in the how, but it is more encouragement.

Lovely stuff from him again, that encouraged by the start to the

second half, without question. That was a bit slack there from Grant

That idea took a deflection or it is a very good save. -- that I

there took a deflection. -- either. He would have been proud of that.

Northern Ireland is have enjoyed in nice spell of pressure in that the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 45 seconds

Serbian half. They are now having hear the buzz around Windsor Park.

I think he might be aware that his side had slipped back a little back.

He is about to make a change, I what has happened here. Pantelic

has done it. 10th international goal. He scored one against

Northern Ireland in Belgrade. And here, it is a sword through

Northern Ireland's heart. It put Serbia won the Nell in front 25

minutes into this second half. -- 1-nil. He took his time. Steve

Davis will not want to see this believe it, either. It is up hell

now. -- uphill. Even the goal has not silenced the Northern Ireland

Jovanovic. Great save by Lee Camp. Well done. That number one. Give

skwrof I don't have top marks, lovely skill. Tremendous finish.

Great reflexes from Lee Camp. Johnny Evans is booked. The two

Evans brothers both booked, both miss Estonia on Tuesday night. This

result will be hard to take. So Nigel Worthington getting a new

contract, it's already been offered. There'll be talks about that and

his future, I am sure, over the next few months. Plenty of debate

amongst the administerors and the supporters. Didn't fall for Baird.

The referee brings it to an end. You can see the disappointment

there. Petrovic will take the three points. Look at the delight for the

Serbians. There's the man that got the goal, Pantelic. He gave it away,

sadly. Not a night to remember for Steve Davis, not a night for

Northern Ireland to remember. Serbia, they're back in the mix in

the group. But the finals, surely, for those fans, have dropped off

the radar for Northern Ireland. Final score in this group C

qualifier, a very disappointing Northern Ireland 0, Serbia 1.

got to bear in mind they're a very good side, they're in the top 20.

The players and the clubs they're at, they can interchange. We found

it hard dealing with that the first half but got the players in and

settled down and twaebged one or two things and had a go at it in

the second half and I am delighted for the players because they

deserved that. We have to concentrate on the last three games

and pick up as many points as we can and hope a couple of other

teams drop some and we can still find ourselves in it. But can't

fault the effort tonight. First half they showed how good they were.

But we stuck together, we kept a good shape. We went out second half

and had a lot of the ball and and unfortunate with the goal, one of

those things and they hit us with that sort of counterattack goal. We

are disappointed but there's a lot of positives we can take tonight

but at the end of the day we have lost and that's the disappointing

thing. As far as the two yellow cards, from Corry's point of view,

he was on a booking, got a second. Johnny, got away with it a few

moments earlier, and I thought he was going to sail through but he

had another flick at the player and got cautioned, so that's

frustration and again Johnny is young. I thought he had a fantastic

game tonight and he will learn from that. So, didn't help our situation

on Tuesday. But that's a game of football, you deal with it and meet

it head on and that's what we will do. We will do our best, as we

always do and I am 100% behind them, the players are a fantastic group.

They give their all for the Northern Ireland and that's all I

as a manager can ask them to do and results overall have been top-class

from our point of view. So, disappointment tonight, and in this

game it's how quickly you get over the disappointment and bounce back.

A check on the results this much at Windsor Park ends with

Northern Ireland failing to deliver and it would appear that

qualification is now all but gone. Joining me former international

Captain Jim McGilton. It does look very much like the game is up?

I think so. Tonight was a big night and three points will have been so

pressure going into next week's game so yeah, it's huge

disappointment. And you look to that and you go to Estonia now,

Estonia having won this evening on a high and you take them back here

and it's away to Italy. That in itself is sa different run-in.

is. They knew that before that. They knew tonight, that's why

tonight was so important. So, they'll go back and reflect and

obviously they'll go and have a go against Estonia and try and win the

game. They're going to have to win all three. Back to early doors in

the game itself, the opening chance, it fell to Chris Brunt. You were

screaming in the terraces here. Play Healy in, it did look if he

did it could have been an early goal. It was a great passage of

play. If he had gone across the keeper maybe the keeper had to make

a save, I know David was on top of it. I felt he didn't really see him.

That was a promising start and thought they could build on that.

There were warning signs. They hit the woodwork and Kolarov produces a

great great save from Lee Camp, Camp one of the highlights. He was

the sponsored Man of the Match. Serbia controlled large chunks of

play, kept possession of the football. I thought Northern

Ireland gave the ball away cheaply at times and that's not like them.

They did have little patches in the game but overall you have to say

that Serbia probably deserved to win the game. Second half they came

out, they are rejuvenated. Johnny Evans breaks down the left, sends

in a great ball. Young Corry on the end of it, we were all thinking 1-0.

That was probably their best passage of play and a great ball,

brother to brother. I am sure they've done that many times. He

just didn't time it properly, that was a glorious chance. At this

level and them chances come along, you have to score. The second one

came just down the line. Chris Brunt, beautiful ball, 60, 70 yards.

Healy on the end of it, when he gets the cross it breaks for Brunt,

his shot charged down, but it was a chance. It was a chance. Again a

great, great pass. He makes the ground up. He does everything right.

Keeps the ball down. I am sure when he hits it he thinks he is going to

score. Serbia defended that particularly well. Both the Evans

boys misthe Estonia game. McCourt probably out and Lafferty too. It

isn't good. No, and the manager, this is where he is going to earn

his corn, he is going to have to lift a group of players

disappointed. They know tonight that was maybe qualification for

another major event gone. The goal, we have to get to it. Steven Davis,

who is a quality player, he just seemed to switch off. Curtains.

Very disappointing for him personally, because I thought he

played very well in the game. It was just one of them lapses of

concentration that cost you and again at this level you can't

afford to give top-class players that opportunity. He finishes it

well. But the very least they deserve was a draw tonight and we

gifted them a goal. Fans getting on Nigel's back this evening, do you

feel that's harsh given you looked at the bench and there's not a lot

there. You have to acknowledge resources are limited. I think it's

harsh because you lose two quality players from any squad, with

Lafferty and McCourt it's going to hurt and it hurt tonight. OK. There

were, of course, a series of important games played in Europe

this evening. Let's check on a for Northern Ireland is Estonia.

Can they pick themselves up? The match will be live on Tuesday

evening on BBC Radio Ulster from 7.00pm. On a pivotal evening of

European Championship park here in Windsor Park Northern Ireland come