World Cup Group A qualifier: Northern Ireland 0 Germany 1 (Woltemade 31)
A huge sense of anticlimax settled on Windsor Park at the end of a tough and ultimately underwhelming night for Northern Ireland on the occasion of Michael O’Neil’s 100th game in charge. His players as usual gave everything but O’Neill was sufficiently annoyed by the Spanish officials to confront referee Jesus Manzano on the final whistle.
It is not like O’Neill but his frustration could be seen growing steadily throughout a match he clearly felt was going the German way in terms of decisions. It meant his side could never quite build the kind of momentum that saw them sweep away Slovakia here last Friday.
Nick Woltemade’s first international goal for Germany on the half-hour was the only goal. Woltemade has started impressively in the Premier League with Newcastle United and he showed a few lovely touches. His contribution will have delighted coach Julian Nagelsman, who has come under scrutiny for selecting the Newcastle striker.
Nagelsman has come under scrutiny full stop. This is hardly a vintage Germany team and having been condescending about Northern Ireland’s style in Cologne last month, he had to avoid a slip-up. Germany are likely to now win the group. For Northern Ireland it is a trip to Slovakia next.
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They will not have Ethan Galbraith there. Once of Manchester United, now of Swansea City in the Championship, Galbraith displayed skill and tenacity throughout but received a yellow card shortly before half-time that will keep him out of the trip to Bratislava.
Liverpool’s Conor Bradley will return at least. The team captain, inspirational on Friday, received a tame yellow card against Slovakia and in a measure of the squad limitations under which O’Neill operates, in Bradley’s absence 21 year-old Brodie Spencer, now of Oxford United, came in.
A Belfast defender who started at Cliftonville before moving to Huddersfield Town, Spencer found himself up against Karim Adeyemi of Borussia Dortmund initially, before Florian Wirtz eased himself out on to the German left. Adeyemi, Wirtz, Serge Gnabry with Woltemade in front of them – it’s an attacking quartet laden with potential.
Northern Ireland’s lone striker, Jamie Reid, plays for Stevenage. Understandably he struggled and Josh Magennis came on at half-time in Reid’s position.
Adeyemi soon move to the right and Germany began to find some progressive rhythm. Wirtz pinged a couple of cross-field passes to Adeyemi; Wirtz also blasted high when well-placed inside the Irish area.
It looked as if it was the home side who had scored first though, when Dan Ballard scrambled in a shot on 14 minutes. An offside was called.
That would have set the place alight, but it was in fact a rare push into the German box; the visitors were dictating the tempo and had territorial control when Woltemade scored. It was a basic goal, despite its personal significance to the man from Bremen. Woltemade met a David Raum corner with his shoulder four yards out and Bailey Peacock-Farrell in goal could do nothing. There was a brief VAR check but referee Manzano gave the goal.
Germany had 75 per cent possession at that stage and saw out the half relatively comfortably. Northern Ireland had to get on the ball in the second half – in players like Galbraith, Isaac Price and Justin Devenny O’Neill has tidy, passing footballers and in Shea Charles a midfield dynamo. But they need possession.
There was an increase in that as the hour mark came and went but German keeper Oliver Baumann was yet to be tested seriously. Instead Adeyemi should have made it 2-0 when clean through just after the interval; a poor miss.
Peacock-Farrell then made a big save at his near post to thwart Gnabry and the game then became scrappy, which suited the Germans as it was the home side who needed flow. There were a couple of useful efforts from the persistent Galbraith and O’Neill introduced substitutes such as QPR winger Paul Smyth for centre-half Paddy McNair.
Callum Marshall, another young player making his way in England – at West Ham – was another sent on and with two minutes left was given a rare chance to strike at Baumann following good work by Ballard and Trai Hume. But Baumann blocked from the 20 year-old. And that was that.
