Northern Ireland’s return to Windsor Park ended in a goalless draw with Hungary, a result that maintained their unbeaten start in the Nations League and left them joint-top with Ukraine on four points from two matches. It was Northern Ireland’s first home match in 315 days, and while it did not match the late drama of Friday’s win over Georgia, Michael O’Neill was positive about the outcome.
O’Neill said his side had faced a very good opponent and believed they were more than a match for Hungary, who had lost their opening game 1-0 to Ukraine. He welcomed another clean sheet but admitted Northern Ireland could not create the clear-cut chance that would have won the game.
Chances were at a premium at Windsor Park as both defences came out on top. Patrick Kelly hit the crossbar in the first half for Northern Ireland, while Isaac Price had an effort beaten away by Hungary goalkeeper Balazs Toth. Shea Charles had a penalty appeal waved away in the lead-up to Kelly’s chance, a similar incident to Dan Ballard’s controversial penalty concession in Georgia. O’Neill said he had not yet seen it back, but joked that the referee never seems to make the walk to the side of the pitch for his team.
The threat of Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai was largely nullified, with Hungary struggling to create clear-cut chances of their own. Pierce Charles was largely untroubled in the Northern Ireland goal, making his only save when a lethargic clearance allowed Alex Toth to shoot towards goal in the closing stages. Northern Ireland have now kept eight clean sheets in their last 10 home matches.
O’Neill admitted he saw two tired teams at the end, after Northern Ireland’s 5,000-mile trip from Georgia. He felt the preparation and first away game had been more difficult, and noted that Hungary grew a little stronger towards the end.
One aspect that irked O’Neill was what he perceived as play acting from some Hungary players. Ethan Galbraith, captain Shea Charles, Jamie Donley and Isaac Price were all booked by Spanish referee Ricardo de Burgos, and O’Neill was disappointed with some of the yellow cards and with the visiting players’ behaviour, saying they were holding their faces and screaming. He said there was no need for simulation or antics in an honest, competitive game and that the referee had to speed the game up.
Northern Ireland return to action on Friday when they face Ukraine in Slovakia in the third match of their four-game window. O’Neill described it as another difficult test for a youthful side, but he was pleased with what he called a great start in a very competitive group, adding that the teams appear very well matched.