'Proud' Ballard knows Northern Ireland must improve

Dan Ballard admitted Northern Ireland are a long way off where they need to be to reach their goal of qualifying for Euro 2024.

The 22-year-old defender scored his second Northern Ireland goal on Thursday night to offer hope of a late fightback against Kosovo but it was not to be as the match ended in a 3-2 defeat in Pristina.

Northern Ireland began this Nations League campaign as top seeds targeting top spot in League C Group Two but are yet to end a winless record in the competition which now stands at 13 games, showing few signs they could challenge for a place at the Euros as the pressure mounts on Ian Baraclough.

Responding to the disappointment of Sunday's goalless draw in Cyprus, Baraclough had said his side should be judged not on results now but in the coming qualifying campaign, but a vast improvement will be needed.

Ballard, the Arsenal defender who spent last season on loan at Millwall, echoed the manager's point that several key players - Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans, Josh Magennis and Craig Cathcart among them - are missing, but knows more is required.

"We are missing a lot of key players in our team and we can be proud of the way we performed," Ballard said.

"Of course it is nowhere near the standard of where we want to be. We want to be qualifying for the Euros and qualifying for the World Cup and we have a long way to go."

After flat performances in the 1-0 home defeat to Greece and the goalless draw away to Cyprus, Northern Ireland at least showed more threat in Pristina, although it came too late after Kosovo took a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes through goals from Vedat Muriqi and Zymer Byqyti.

Shayne Lavery pulled one back on the stroke of half-time but Muriqi's second in the 52nd minute might have been the final