'You only get that moment once' - Northern Ireland loss but milestone night for two players in Poland
Northern Ireland senior women’s manager Tanya Oxtoby, within the disappointment of defeat in Poland, singled out a special night for two players.
The 2-0 reverse in the UEFA Women’s Nations League meeting off first-half goals by the hosts’ Ewelina Kamczyk and Adriana Achcinska still provided individual positives for teenager Kascie Weir and Rebecca McKenna.
Weir, the 18-year-old striker, made her senior international debut as a second-half substitute – with McKenna sporting the skipper’s armband as she led out her team-mates on a landmark 50th cap.
"From our point of view, she's so young and she's reached 50 caps,” said Oxtoby of McKenna’s achievement. "Every single time she steps out on that pitch you can just see the pride and passion she has - and tonight's no different.
"Great performance from her and obviously to lead her team out is a massive honour.
"It shows, I suppose, the group that we've got that this is our process.
"Everyone is really happy for her."
Oxtoby described Weir’s milestone moment as an opportunity to “break the ice”.
“I just said 'go and enjoy it'...you only get that moment once,” said Oxtoby. "She's earned it and she's gone on to the pitch, she's managed to sort of break the ice if you like and that was the purpose of it for her, to get a feel for it and play, probably, with some of her idols I'd imagine as well.
"So really pleased for her and it shows the pathway and what we're trying to do here in terms of bringing players through.
"We speak all the time that it's about the entire squad and you saw that again tonight...it's really important."
Next Northern Ireland welcome Bosnia-Herzegovina to Larne’s Inver Park for Nations League duty on Tuesday.
"Much better second half from us as well,” said Oxtoby following the Poland loss. "So, you know, we're really looking forward to getting back home, getting in front of our home fans, it's going to take everybody...another big big game for us."