Northern Ireland vs Greece. UEFA Nations League Group C2.
Windsor ParkAttendance16,977.
Match report of UEFA Nations League Group C2 at Windsor Park as Northern Ireland suffer opening night defeat to Greece; Gus Poyet wins his first competitive match as Greece boss thanks to Anastasios Bakasetas' winner
Friday 3 June 2022 13:15, UK
Northern Ireland's wait for a Nations League victory goes on after their campaign began with yet another dispiriting result as Ian Baraclough's side were beaten 1-0 at home by Greece.
Despite the best efforts of another sell-out crowd at Windsor Park, Northern Ireland were too flat for too long, only raising their game when two 34-year-olds - Kyle Lafferty and Niall McGinn - came off the bench to chase a result in the final half an hour.
But they could find no answer to Tasos Bakasetas' 39th-minute strike for the visitors as Gus Poyet took victory in his first competitive game in charge of Greece.
It means Northern Ireland are still without a win after 11 attempts in the Nations League, while Baraclough has only one victory in the same number of fixtures at Windsor Park in all competitions.
"We looked like a team who hadn't played for a while so we're frustrated," Baraclough said afterwards.
"We upped the tempo and showed more bravery on the ball in the second half and ultimately we've lost the game from a breakaway having lost the ball in the middle of the pitch which had us on the backfoot.
"We'll be looking for some freshness but let's see how we recovery. We know the travel will take it out of us but we're prepared for it and the warmer climate. We knew that Greece would be a tough nut to crack as they've rebuilt and they've played a few years now as a group. It showed but we'll now go to Cyprus looking to open our account."
On Wednesday the manager had set his side a points target of 12 for their four fixtures this month, but this is a result that leaves Northern Ireland already facing an uphill task in their goal of promotion out of League C.
Baraclough's predecessor Michael O'Neill was in the stands to watch his first Northern Ireland match in person since leaving for Stoke, no doubt hoping for a repeat of those famous nights when his side beat Greece home and away on their way to Euro 2016, but this was very different fare.
A flat first half was largely passing without incident until Greece made the breakthrough six minutes before the interval.
Paddy Lane, making his competitive debut, was unable to cut out a long ball forward and Dimitrios Limnios played it inside for Bakasetas to hit a low drive beyond Bailey Peacock-Farrell into the corner.
Greece had been trying that ball forward since the start, but more often than not saw it drift out of play. Their only other chance up to that point had been a deep Limnios cross to Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis, who headed tamely at Peacock-Farrell.
Two minutes earlier Northern Ireland's only chance had come and gone, Gavin Whyte turning neatly to make space on the edge of the area but unable to generate enough power to test Odisseas Vlachodimos.
Greece might have added a second just before the break as Kostas Tsimikas got the better of his Liverpool team-mate Conor Bradley in a battle that raged for much of the night on Northern Ireland's right.
The hosts were appealing for a foul but Tsimikas strode forward, playing in Lazaros Rota, who blazed over to the frustration of Giakoumakis, who was awaiting the cross in front of goal.
The visitors really should have been two ahead six minutes into the second half as Limnios sent in a low cross that just evaded the out-stretched boot of Giakoumakis - the 27-year-old who was in such hot form for Celtic but who could not add to his sole international strike.
Baraclough turned to Lafferty - back in the squad for the first time since September - and McGinn as he switched to a 4 5-1 formation just after the hour.
Northern Ireland turned up the intensity, pumping balls forward, but genuine chances were few and far between. The best of them was a McGinn shot which was comfortable for Vlachodimos, while Lafferty brushed the roof of the net with a curling free-kick.
There was a debut for Manchester City's Shea Charles as Baraclough made a flurry of changes heading into the final 10 minutes, but none made the difference he sought as the final whistle was greeted with boos.
"We were a bit timid and within ourselves in the first half," Baraclough added. "In the second half we showed a bit more intensity to get forward and give them problems.
"We changed our shape which made a difference and the impact you look from subs - it happened. It's frustrating because we couldn't get the ball away and our first touch was off a little bit and the first half was a training game or the first game of a pre-season."
Anastasios Bakasetas has been involved in five goals in his last five UEFA Nations League appearances for Greece (3 goals, 2 assists).
Bakasetas has scored three goals in his last six internationals, as many goals as in his first 40 appearances for the national team.
"The feeling is one of sheer disappointment," Niall McGinn said. "As with every campaign we wanted to get off to a positive start but we didn't test their goalkeeper anywhere near enough. It looked like some of the boys hadn't played in four or five weeks.
"We needed to get more balls into the box and you could see how they defended well and saw the game out pretty well towards the end.
"On a night like tonight, there weren't many chances and I had a half-chance where I needed to put it either side of the goalkeeper. We have to dust ourselves down and go again on Sunday as we've still got three games in this particular camp.
"The experienced players like myself will have to nourish the young players in the squad and we'll need everyone on board in the next seven or eight days."
Northern Ireland continue their UEFA Nations League Group C2 campaign by visiting Cyprus at the AEK Arena on Sunday June 5 (kick-off 5pm) while Greece travel to face Kosovo on the same evening at the Prishtina City Stadium at 7.45pm.
