Nedelev double raises N Ireland questions as WC hopes end

Todor Nedelev’s second-half double ended Northern Ireland’s slim World Cup hopes with a 2-1 defeat in Bulgaria which raised questions after another poor performance.

Northern Ireland looked rejuvenated and the quality of their play deserved more than the one-goal lead they held at half-time, as Conor Washington stabbed home the rebound after Josh Magennis’ header was saved, and a VAR review overruled the linesman’s raised flag.

Anything but a win was likely to leave qualification for Qatar mathematically impossible for Ian Baraclough’s side, and the manner of their second-half capitulation made it a certainty.

Bulgaria emerged a different team who the Green and White Army could not deal with, and an equaliser had been coming by the time Nedelev fired Ilian Iliev’s deflected cross into the far corner.

He would complete the turnaround 10 minutes later, striking a beautiful 20-yard effort past a helpless Bailey Peacock-Farrell 10 minutes later, a goal to which Northern Ireland had little response and allowed their faint qualifying hopes to end with a whimper.

Baraclough’s side drop to fourth, ahead of only Lithuania, in Group C after the defeat, a potentially damaging blow for their seeding hopes for the Euro 2024 qualifiers, and a 10th defeat from 18 games of the manager’s 16-month reign.

More to follow…

What’s next?

Northern Ireland host bottom side Lithuania at Windsor Park in the next international break, on November 12; kick-off at 7.45pm.