Giants Causeway

Northern Ireland 2-0 Slovakia (World Cup Qualifiers)

Day two of my road (and air) trip watching international football and it's Northern Ireland's turn as Michael O'Neill's men host Slovakia at Windsor Park.

No sooner have I packed my bags and left Hampden, am I in the air, next morning bright and breezy landing at Belfast International after a short Easy Jet flight from Glasgow.

It's 8am and I'm already in the Hertz queue for a hire car, I can't check in to my B&B until 1pm so have an idea to head up to the Giants Causeway, I must have been to Ireland over twenty times previously but have never been to see its most famed tourist attraction on the windy north coast, so with time head up and pay £10 to park at the Causeway Hotel next to the Visitor Centre, but with that you get a pot of tea and scone to also enjoy.

It's cold, it's wet, with waves I've never seen as high it's worth a visit, and after a short drive around Portrush (just to get a view of the stunning golf course) I head back for an afternoon nap and take aim with the early evening rush hour traffic to get to the stadium within good time (after a quick Costa coffee near the ground).

Slovakia are currently top of the group after beating Germany in the opening round of fixtures. A 2-0 win with goals from Atletico Madrid's Hancko and Middlesbrough's Strelec (which I'm told means Sagittarius in Slovakian) was backed up by a 1-0 victory in Luxembourg, not quite as convincing as their result against the four time world champions, they relied on a 90th minute winner after their hosts had an earlier goal ruled out by VAR.

As for Northern Ireland. They were more convincing in seeing off Luxembourg 3-1 before a same score reverse saw them beaten by the Germans. A result tonight will keep things interesting as they look to reach the World Cup Finals for the first time since 1986.

The Venue

I've parked up the hire car outside someone's terraced house on Ebor Drive. There's no parking restrictions around the streets surrounding the ground so people take matters into their own hands by leaving cones out to warn match goers away.

Only a short walk, I'm through the gates and heading towards the media door where I'm given my UEFA lanyard. A quick cup of tea in the press lounge I'm up in the lift to the third floor, the top tier of the South Stand where the TV and press desks are a plenty.

The view is good, on top of the action, intimate but modern is the venue three sides wrapping around as one, opposite the old North Stand two tiered sprinkled with green white and blue seats.

The Game

It's sparse inside the arena until a few minutes before the match but the venue kicks into life as local boxer and newly crowned World Champion Lewis Crocker parades his IBF Welterweight belt, he actually won it a few weeks back in the very stadium against a Southern Irish fighter in Paddy Donovan.

The two anthems are belted out, God Save the King is sung better here than it is in England, as the game gets underway the temperature rises in the noisy but small stadium of just under 20,000, the hosts on the front foot well backed by a vocal support. Slovakia have a few hundred fans in one corner but their team can't get going, it's an unspectacular 4-3-3 they are playing and they struggle getting their attacking trio on the ball. The Irish are snapping away, led by Captain Connor Bradley who is brilliant. The Liverpool right back sees things quicker than anyone else, anticipates, reads things, but has real ability too. He's linking up with Swansea City's Ethan Galbraith who's a fantastic little footballer, all the danger is on this near side and when Galbraith is played in by Bradley, he cuts back and Hrosovsky gets himself in an awful mess to put through his own goal after 18 minutes.

It could be worse. Northern Ireland's left side is equally dangerous with more talented youngsters in Isaac Price and Justin Devenny linking well together. Devenny has already had a sniff before stinging the palms of Dubravka who dives to his right to push an effort behind for a corner, then when Jamie Reid finds the ball falling into his path the Stevenage striker should do better. A mazy run by Shea Charles who's also having a belting game, ends up with the ball ricocheting to Reid who blasts over when it looked odds on he would score Northern Ireland's second.

The Score

You feel that might be a chance that the hosts rue and when Reid leaves out a foot to touch home a Shea Charles effort into the net, a linesman's flag is raised for offside and it's another one gone begging for the home side who are on top.

Slovakia take that as warning too, and after a few subs are made by their Italian coach Francesco Calzona, they finally pick up the pace as the game opens up. Strelec is sent through one on one but can't guide his effort on target, a huge let off for Northern Ireland who despite giving that opportunity away, have been so dominant all night.

But with less than ten minutes left, that dominance is doubled by advantage. Martin Dubravka has been punching everything that comes near him, he does the same again and this time misjudges by fisting a cross straight to Trai Hume. The centre half is on the edge of the area and guides a volley back over Dubravka's head, it's a stunning finish with his weak foot and it has the Slovakian analytics team beside me up in arms fuming with their teams lacklustre performance.

Suddenly the place is rocking. The noise created by this little nation, in this little ground, is absolutely huge. There's something about watching these smaller countries who actually enjoy winning games of football against other nations, you don't get that as an England fan. It's our entitlement, we feel we should beat everyone, and when we do, it's usually relief, but Northern Ireland beating Slovakia, and last night Scotland beating Greece, it's celebrated with joy regardless of performance. That's what football should be all about!

The Stars

Connor Bradley was brilliant. As a right back, whenever I've seen him play for Northern Ireland, I've seen no better player on the park. He went off late on to a standing ovation, was the best player on the pitch, the biggest forward threat, and surely it's time Arne Slot at Liverpool put more faith in him?

Besides Bradley, Galbraith linked up really well with him, small in size he gets around the pitch, plays it neat, forward, simple, he has good feet and makes good decisions in the midfield.

Isaac Price is another player I like, he was relatively quiet but he's a player who has swagger, he glides when carrying the ball and did a couple of things which had the fans up on their feet.

A mention on Justin Devenny who's a Crystal Palace player who played left wing back, again exceptionally talented, I really feel that behind England, this squad is perhaps the best of the other home nations with so much young talent coming through.

Another youngster, Shea Charles was classy, the back three solid, Dan Ballard, Trai Hume and Paddy McNair all having Sunderland connection, all understanding each others game.

As for Slovakia, well not a night that they'll want to remember. I spoke to their analyst after and was told 'we always struggle against organised sides'.

I told him 'Northern Ireland simply wanted it more' which was the huge difference on the night, but in player power, I think Slovakia carried a couple, which was not ideal. PSV teenager Leo Sauer had a tricky night up against Connor Bradley, whilst the likes of Schranz and Bero offered little in attack.

Captain Milan Skriniar looks the only world class player they have, but in Satka next to him at centre half, and in Obert at left back, they have good defensive footballers who should be more than competent at the level.

Despite his own goal, Hrosovsky in the centre of midfield worked hard, next to Ondrej Duda, who has Premier League experience, he looked the best player in white, on the night, he as always giving plenty of effort with a touch of quality.

There were glimpses of talent when Strelec got the ball, he drives forwards well and prefers to pick things up deeper, more of a ten playing nine. Whilst had they started Lukas Haraslin in attack, things might have been different. He was busy after coming off the bench, Stoke City's Tomas Rigo also improved things when he came on in midfield.

The Verdict

As I told the Slovakian analyst after the match. "It's all to play for now". In a funny way, this loss doesn't change much, as Slovakia have already beaten Germany, and I doubt that Northern Ireland can do that.

But if Michael O'Neill's men can get a result on Monday night, they'll be huge favourites to finish in the top two, my money is on the 14th November though and the return match between these two nations, to sort out who will join Germany with a shot at making the cut, for Europe's representatives in the next World Cup.

The Teams

Northern Ireland: Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Daniel Ballard, Paddy McNair, Trai Hume, Connor Bradley (Josh Magennis 90), Ethan Galbraith (Brodie Spencer 85), Shai Charles, Ali McCann, Justin Devenny, Isaac Price, Jamie Reid (Dion Charles 71).

Slovakia: Martin Dubravka, Norbert Gyomber, Lubomir Satka, Milan Skriniar, Adam Obert, Matus Bero, Patrik Hrosovsky (Laszlo Benes 89), Ondrej Duda (Tomas Rigo 63), Ivan Schranz (Lukas Haraslin 63), David Strelec (Samuel Mraz 89), Leo Sauer (Lubomir Tupta 82).

7:45pm Kick Off. Friday 10th October 2025, Windsor Park, Belfast (att 18,109).