Magill equaliser eases fears as Northern Ireland avoid Nations League relegation

Northern Ireland 1-1 Montenegro (3-1 agg)

Simone Magill cooled Northern Ireland's nerves as a 1-1 draw against Montenegro in the second leg of their Nations League play-off saw them avoid relegation to League C.

Tanya Oxtoby’s side held a 2-0 lead from the counterpart fixture in Pogdorica and played out a goalless first half at Windsor Park before Medina Desic’s 66th-minute header raised the tension in Belfast.

But the nerves disappeared seven minutes later when Aston Villa striker Magill tapped a volley into an open net following good work from substitutes Danielle Maxwell and Ellie Mason.

Northern Ireland’s refusal to sit on their pre-match advantage was clear when Joely Andrews pushed forward and shot wide with less than 20 seconds on the clock, but that early intent came to nothing.

Instead, the visitors responded with an even better chance of their own when the dangerous Armisa Kuc latched onto Chloe McCarron’s misplaced pass and forced a fine save from Maddy Harvey-Clifford.

The Crusaders keeper was needed again when Sladana Bulatovic tried her luck on the counter but Caragh Hamilton’s attempt just before the break was as close the hosts came.

Things heated up when Desic took advantage of some static defending to power home a teasing corner at the far post, suddenly placing the tie in the balance. Stung into life, Northern Ireland almost equalised when Magill hit the crossbar after reaching Hamilton’s pass and Maxwell’s follow-up was saved.

Magill made no mistake with her next sight of goal. Mason beat the away keeper to meet Maxwell’s lofted pass at the byline and nodded back across the six-yard box to leave her forward an easy finish at point-blank range and preserve her side’s League B status.

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