Michael O’Neill admitted the nature of Bulgaria’s winning goal made Northern Ireland’s 1-0 defeat in Plovdiv on Sunday all the more frustrating.
On a poor pitch which affected both teams, Northern Ireland had survived an early onslaught in which Ciaron Brown blocked an early shot on the line amid a goalmouth scramble and Radoslav Kirilov hit a post with a fine free-kick.
Then, five minutes before half-time, Bulgaria’s goal came gift-wrapped as Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s mistake in trying to hit a short, square pass to Daniel Ballard rather than clear his lines allowed Aleksandar Kolev to set up an easy finish for home captain Kiril Despodov.
“It’s very disappointing,” O’Neill said.
“We knew it would be a tough game against a team we know have a lot of physicality, a lot of power in their team, and that was a factor in the early part of the game.
“I thought we dealt with that well but the nature of the pitch meant it was always going to be a game with more physicality in it than normal and ultimately we lost the game to a poor goal and that’s the most disappointing thing.”
Bulgaria, draw specialists who began the night with only one win in 16, were just about worthy of their victory given the pressure they had applied early on, but Northern Ireland appeared to have come through the worst of it only to undo their hard work.
The pitch had begun cutting up almost as soon as the game started, hampering the flow of the match.
Under those conditions, Peacock-Farrell was in a difficult spot when Brown played the ball back to him but had a chance to kick it long rather than look to square.
“The pitch is the pitch,” O’Neill added. “We knew about it going in and we talked about making good decisions in our own half.
Those subs gave it everything they had tonight 🙏🟢⚪️ #GAWA pic.twitter.com/IgVw0mX1pZ
— Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland) September 8, 2024
“I haven’t seen the goal back in any detail but Bailey knows himself it was the wrong decision and ultimately that was the deciding factor in the game.”
O’Neill responded to the setback by shifting Conor Bradley to a more central position, which afforded Northern Ireland more of the ball in the second half.
But where before the break they had been able to create chances on the counter, now Bulgaria moved back and closed the door, with Northern Ireland rarely threatening in the second half despite a late push forward.
“We can’t control what the opposition do, they had something to defend which we gave them,” O’Neill added.
“I think they were more than happy to play on the counter (in the second half). The responsibility lies with us. The opportunities to counter weren’t there, so we have to improvise.
“I think for a lot of our players, they’re learning all the time, they’re learning at a good level.
“Tonight was a tough test, a difficult place to come and the second game in three days so as much as I’m disappointed to lose the game, there’s a lot to take from the game.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
