Northern Ireland 'ride the wave' as Tanya Oxtoby celebrates Women's Euro 2025 play-off progress
Northern Ireland head coach Tanya Oxtoby celebrated a ‘mature’ and ‘professional’ performance in Friday’s key Women’s Euro 2025 qualification victory over Malta that secured a play-off place.
Emma Lipman’s own goal and a Kerry Beattie header wrapped up the 2-0 success on the road and now Northern Ireland host Bosnia and Herzegovina in Belfast on Tuesday with a shot at seeded status.
With Northern Ireland level on points in League B Group 3 but clear of Bosnia and Herzegovina on goal difference after five games, second spot will be wrapped up by avoiding defeat but victory may place Oxtoby’s squad as seeded for the first of two sets of Euro 2025 play-offs.
“I thought we had to ride the wave a little bit in the first half, which we kind of predicted would happen,” said Oxtoby following Friday’s game. “I thought it was mature from us in terms of the way that we looked to ride that storm out and then we wrestled control in the second half.
“I felt we were pretty comfortable in terms of controlling the game.
“So, a really professional performance from us and really pleased obviously to get the result.
“We rode the storm in the first half but I also felt we didn't really, in possession, get out of second gear.
“So we made a couple of tactical tweaks to exploit some different spaces and I thought the players took that on board and we controlled the game really, really well.
“Our goal is obviously a really good example of the stuff that we've been working on in training, which is really pleasing.
“Our final-third play was good, I always want more and I want us to be more clinical.
“But we were trying to exploit the areas we were looking for.
“On the flip of that, the clean sheet - which was what we asked for to give ourselves the opportunity to go and play with freedom.”
Oxtoby highlighted the collective efforts leading up to facing Malta and across the 2-0 win as key to progress.
“Real credit to the whole squad because we've worked so hard over this week...those that started, those that come off the bench but also the entire squad that maybe didn't get minutes tonight,” she said. “The prep for us to be able to play in the way we have has been exceptional from everyone.
“A real shout-out to the whole squad.
“We need to rest, rebuild and obviously look to go again Tuesday.
“I thought we were in control of the game, it never really felt in the second half we didn't have our destiny in our own hands.
“Even at 1-0 it felt controlled.
“We could have made more changes but we felt like we had good rhythm.
“We've spoken all week about making sure that you add value to this group by contributing and that's not just about the minutes that you play.
“So really pleased for the whole squad to get the result and we move forward to Tuesday.”
Kick-off on Tuesday at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park for the final fixture in the league phase of the qualifiers will be 6 o’clock.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Jackie Burns, Rebecca McKenna, Rachel Dugdale, Rebecca Holloway, Laura Rafferty (captain), Nadene Caldwell, Casey Howe, Brenna McPartlan, Kerry Beattie, Keri Halliday, Louise McDaniel.
Subs: Joely Andrews, Danielle Maxwell, Lauren Wade, Lauren Perry, Maddy Harvey-Clifford, Demi Vance, Chloe McCarron, Marissa Callaghan, Simone Magill, Kelsie Burrows, Emily Wilson, Caragh Hamilton.