IF NORTHERN Ireland’s women could line up a spring friendly and lose it 6-0 then that would be bitter-sweet - because it would be a very promising omen for 2022.
Defeats by that scoreline have marked both the beginning of the Kenny Shiels era and the first match of last year - and, rather than them being exposed as ‘out of their depth’, almost everything has gone swimmingly after those losses.
Indeed, apart from that friendly setback for an under-strength side against England at St George’s Park back last February, NI were only behind for around half an hour of actual play in 2021.
Even on the first such occasion they only fell in arrears at Wembley after more than an hour had elapsed, eventually losing 4-0, while going behind at home to Austria in the next World Cup qualifier simply inspired a terrific turnaround - and almost a famous victory.
There’s a distinct air of familiarity about this year. The Euros draw pitted them against hosts England and Austria, both of whom had been faced earlier in October in the World Cup qualifying group.
The other - first - opponents at the Euros will be Norway, who inflicted two 6-0 defeats in Euro qualifying, including in that first competitive match in charge for Shiels in 2019, after which the team shocked Wales by taking second spot in the section to earn a Euro play-off.
Yet although taking on England and Norway is daunting, and Austria aren’t by any means easy, the prospect for Northern Ireland in 2022 is actual ‘sunny uplands’: going INTO Europe in England for the delayed summer Euros there, while qualification for the next World Cup is a distinct possibility rather than a pipe dream.
Holding on for a home win over the Austrians last October would have made reaching Australia/New Zealand 2023 much more attainable, but at least another draw against them in the first scheduled competitive match of this new year would keep the NI girls in the running for second spot and a play-off.
The feel-good factor around the Northern Ireland women is palpable, on and off the pitch.
The atmosphere at matches is upbeat, especially in their Seaview ‘home’, where chants included a tribute to the McGuinness sisters in the style of the Toure/Evans brothers song - despite being forced to fit in an extra syllable.
The rapport between players and supporters is touching, and genuine, building bonds for the future, providing encouragement for potential stars of the years to come.
Manager Shiels has been the inspiration, a combination of woman-motivator and tactician, giving his players the belief to play a brave, passing game, providing them with the confidence that they can take on better teams and keep improving.
Women’s football has that weird mixture of excellent teams and whipping girls, with Northern Ireland somewhere in the middle.
Shiels has got them doing what Michael O’Neill’s men’s teams did for a few years: beating the sides they should beat and also giving the tougher teams real tests.
Shiels’s side did upset the odds, and the rankings, to see off Ukraine in some style in the Euro play-off games. Since then they’ve been efficient against Latvia and Luxembourg, utterly ruthless in putting 20 goals past North Macedonia, and held England for an hour before almost beating Austria.
NI’s women came so close to getting the proverbial ‘scalp’ against the Austrians and may have to actually beat those opponents - but improvement seems set to continue win, lose, or draw away to them in April.
The plan for financial support to allow the squad to train full-time follows on with the mantra of ‘A New Dream’, echoing the ‘Dare to Dream’ slogan for the men’s Euro 2016 odyssey. Stormont can add significantly to the backing already provided by the Irish Football Association and sponsors Electric Ireland.
Given how impressively the players have been punching well above their weight already, the dreams can continue to become reality.
Shiels, assisted by his son Dean and Gary Boyd as coaches, continues to develop players of all ages - improving the games and mindsets of the more experienced women who were used to defeat, and also bringing through and blooding younger talent.
The tactical flexibility has been remarkable, deployed a variety of formations - 3-5-2, 5-3-2, 3-4-3, 4-4-2, 4-3-3, even 2-3-5 - with ‘box’ or ‘diamond’ midfields as required, often with several approaches within the same game.
Key to that adaptability have been captain Marissa Callaghan, defender/midfielder Sarah McFadden, and goalscorer supreme Rachel Furness.
‘Furney’ deservedly became only the second ever female to win the BBC NI Sports Personality of the Year award after first matching then over-taking David Healy as Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer on 38.
The 33-year-old may have been born in the north-east of England, but her commitment and dedication to Northern Ireland are unquestionable. Qualifying through her Belfast-born mum, she has donned the green and white since 2004, scoring her first senior goal in 2005.
Despite mostly now playing in a deeper, midfield role, she continues to find the net regularly, able to play up in attack when needed, but it’s her attitude and enthusiasm which catch the eye the most. The same goes for Callaghan and McFadden, and centre half Julie Nelson too, inspirations all for the younger members of the panel.
That Austria game apart, Northern Ireland have enjoyed some ‘luck of the draw’, first in the Euros play-offs then for the finals themselves.
In the play-offs, all the other four potential opponents had performed better in qualifying than Ukraine, although they were ranked higher than both the Czechs and Portugal at that time, and just behind Russia, and had also finished ahead of the Republic of Ireland in qualifying.
Overcoming them 4-1 on aggregate, winning both legs, was still superb, though.
As for the Euro finals, NI were always going to be up against it, but there could have been even harder groups, perhaps paired with the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark.
Where Shiels and his players have been inarguably luckless has been on the injury front, with a number of long-term absentees. Star striker Simone Magill only returned to action in the drubbings of North Macedonia late this year, having missed out since the Euro play-offs - with Furness one of eight ruled out of the second leg
If Magill is fit for the summer then she, Kirsty McGuinness, Lauren Wade, and Kerry Beattie can pose problems, with goal threats throughout the squad.
Indeed there were 12 different goal-scorers in 2021 - Furness, Kirsty, Magill, Wade, Callaghan, Beattie, Nadene Caldwell Rebecca Holloway, Rebecca McKenna, Louise McDaniel, Demi Vance, and Emily Wilson.
That illustrates the depth and quality Shiels has brought to the panel, with the boss richly deserving his two-year, full-time contract agreed in April.
The players also fully merited their return to Windsor Park for the Latvia game, the first international women’s game there for nine years. NI will surely bring England there on April 12.
As dogged as they were away to England, the girls in green were even better against Austria, especially in the second half. That performance was all the more impressive as Covid protocols cost the squad the services of Chloe McCarron, Nadene Caldwell, Caragh Hamilton, and Laura Rafferty.
Northern Ireland won’t get out of their Euro finals group during their summer sojourn in Southampton in July, the St Mary’s Stadium there providing the venue for all three games.
However, the team’s exploits in 2021 should ensure a continuing flow of talent, and the prospect of more memorable matches this year and beyond.
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QUOTES:
Kenny Shiels in full flow ahead of the play-off first leg in Ukraine:
“We have gone over reams of stuff. If they have prepared with more detail than us I would be astonished.
“All you can do is educate the girls on how the other team play, how we play against them, with and without the ball.
“We’ve done everything you can possibly think of. We’ve got bibs in Ukraine colours, even the corresponding numbers to replicate how they will line out – 17, their attacking midfield player who has scored so many goals for them.
“We’ve done penalty shoot-outs – you name it, we have done it. I even know the manager’s middle name.”
Julie Nelson on the strength and spirit of the squad:
“There’ve been a lot of knocks along the way – losing Abbie [Magee] a week before the camp, Lauren [Wade] a few weeks before it, as well as not being able to play friendlies here. But we have to try to control the controllables, focus on how we’re going to perform….
“We’ve obviously talked about those players but throughout this campaign we’ve been missing players the whole way through, different players missing for different reasons. We’ve definitely done this as a group, it hasn’t been the same 11 or even 14 players playing. We know we can go and get this done as a group.”
Captain Marissa Callaghan after qualifying for the Euros:
“It’s unbelievable. Do you know what? I actually can’t believe it. We have eight players out injured who started this campaign, we’ve had to bring more players into the squad but they’ve stepped up.”
Striker Simone Magill on the realisation of a dream:
“This was always the dream, ever since I was a little kid. Not only did I want to play for Northern Ireland, I wanted to be part of the first group to go to a major tournament and here we are.
“What a feeling, what a moment for women’s football in Northern Ireland, what a moment for every young girl sitting at home watching this game and seeing this journey we’ve been on. What a moment. It’s fantastic.”
Shiels speaking about the boost a big support gives the team:
“If we had the Green and White Army behind us, we’d beat America!...
“We’d take on anybody if we have the Green and White Army behind us. But if they’re not, it makes it a little bit more difficult.
“People don’t realise how much that means to modern young footballers in terms of motivation and how they feel good about themselves. It would be great if we could get a crowd into Windsor similar to the men’s - it would give us more hope, but we’ll battle on.”
Shiels on conceding a late equaliser at home to Austria:
“We were comfortable, we really were, but then we made a mistake - they were tired, the girls. We played Saturday evening away to England; Austria played Friday in a game they won comfortably [5-0 at home to Luxembourg].
“The game at Wembley involved a lot of mental stress - not in a bad way, but it was high profile, and that can be very tiring on the body as well as the mental tiredness.
“They gave a very brave performance [against England] and then went and did the same against Austria. When you consider everything the girls have been outstanding. They continue to, not surprise me but make me feel good with what they do.”
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2021 RESULTS (World Cup qualifier unless stated otherwise):
WCQ: Played six, won four, drew one, lost one, F30, A6
Overall: Played 10, won six, drew one, lost three, F38, A14
February 23: England 6-0 NI (friendly)
April 9: Ukraine 1-2 NI (Euro play-off first leg)
April 13: NI 2-0 Ukraine (Euro play-off second leg)
June 10: NI 0-1 Scotland (friendly)
Sept 17: NI 4-0 Luxembourg
Sept 21: NI 4-0 Latvia
Oct 23: England 4-0 NI
Oct 26: NI 2-2 Austria
Nov 25: North Macedonia 0-11 NI
Nov 29: NI 9-0 North Macedonia
2022 FIXTURES (World Cup qualifier unless stated otherwise):
April 8: Austria v NI
April 12: NI v England
July 7 (8pm): Norway v NI (Euros group A)
July 11 (5pm): Austria v NI (Euros group A)
July 15 (8pm): England v NI (Euros group A)
Sept 2: Luxembourg v NI
Sept 6: Latvia v NI.
