Two late goals give Northern Ireland a much needed win to relieve the pressure on manager Ian Baraclough

Northern Ireland 2-1 Kosovo

Josh Magennis headed in the winner in stoppage time as Northern Ireland came from behind to finally end their Nations League hoodoo with a 2-1 victory over Kosovo at Windsor Park.

Ten minutes after substitute Gavin Whyte had given Northern Ireland hope with the equaliser, the Cardiff winger sent in the cross for Magennis to power home a much-needed winner for Northern Ireland and their manager Ian Baraclough.

An afternoon that began with Conor McMenamin becoming the second player in as many days to be sent home from the squad due to a video circulating online threatened to get much worse after Vedat Muriqi's 58th-minute strike had fans once again calling for the manager’s head.

But instead Northern Ireland claimed three points in this competition for the first time in 15 attempts, moving clear of the immediate threat of relegation to the bottom tier.

After a miserable run of results in June had left his side in a perilous position, Baraclough had sought to inject optimism this week, talking up the return of key players who missed those summer fixtures.

It was reflected on a team sheet which showed eight changes from the 2-2 draw with Cyprus here three and a half months ago, with Jamal Lewis making his first appearance since last November and the likes of Corry Evans, Tom Flanagan and Magennis back in the fold.

But there was no McMenamin on the teamsheet, and less than an hour before kick-off the Irish FA announced the 27-year-old, who only made his debut in June, had been sent home after a video emerged appearing to show the Glentoran winger singing a pro-IRA slogan.

That came a day after Kyle Lafferty had been sent home amid an investigation by his club Kilmarnock into a video appearing to show him