Tanya Oxtoby 'move on' message as Northern Ireland get ready for next Euro 2025 challenge

With a spot in the top three of the four-team group the Northern Ireland target to help progress Euro 2025 hopes, failure to find the net on home soil against the table’s lowest-ranked team marked a disappointing kick-off.

Simone Magill had a goal ruled out and penalty appeal dismissed but Oxtoby refused to dwell on missed opportunities as Northern Ireland now turn to Tuesday’s trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On BBC Sport NI, Oxtoby said of the Magill decision “yes, it's a goal”.

The Northern Ireland manager added: "It is what it is, can't change it now. I don't think we did enough in the final third anyway. Those types of things can turn games, can't they?

"We can't dwell on it, we just need to pick ourselves up and move on.

"It's one of the hardest things to do in football, when teams close down your space then you have to try and move them and disrupt what they are trying to do.

"Malta were fantastic tonight. They were really organised and came with a game plan.

"We knew what they were going to do but it doesn't make it any easier to try and break it down.

"That's a new challenge for us. They are obviously ecstatic with a point and so they should be.

"We need to be better and take it as a compliment that teams are starting to do that against us.

"But we also need to be understanding our timing and movement in the final third, and how we can disrupt that a little bit better.

"It's the first game. Anything can happen and from our point of view the ball is still in our court.

"There are positives from tonight. The playing group is disappointed, I'm disappointed but we're very optimistic because we can see progress.

"We need to keep building on that and Tuesday is another good opportunity to do that."