Tuesday 27 Oct 2020

MATCH ZONE | Northern Ireland defeat Belarus in Women's Euro qualifier

Northern Ireland senior women took all three points against Belarus in a crucial UEFA Women's Euro qualifier in Minsk on Tuesday.

The 1-0 win for Kenny Shiels' squad moved them up to third in Group C and within reach of second-placed team Wales - and crucially with a game in hand.

Rachel Furness scored the only goal of the game after she headed home from a Demi Vance corner three minutes before the break. The goal came at a crucial stage in the match with Northern Ireland down to 10 players after goalkeeper Jackie Burns saw red with just 27 minutes on the clock.

The result means the players still have their sights firmly set on securing a play-off spot for the Euros - which are set to be staged in England in 2022.

HOW THINGS STAND IN GROUP C

Here's a look at how things stand in Group C. After Tuesday night's clash at the Dinamo Stadion, Northern Ireland welcome Belarus to Belfast (27 November) before hosting Faroe Islands on 1 December.

POST-MATCH REACTION

We've claimed seven points from our last nine and momentum is starting to gather. We've two home games now and the match against Belarus will be difficult. 

They showed Northern Ireland spirit tonight, they dug in ... and they have been training really, really hard to get into this position. 

We were more inventive than Belarus, we had more imagination than them. I'm not saying we're a better team but on the night we displayed that skillset and we totally deserved to win the game. - Kenny Shiels, Northern Ireland senior women's team manager

Your Northern Ireland senior women's team to face Belarus! 

This afternoon's starting XI and the team remains unchanged from the 6-0 win over the Faroe Islands last month