Northern Ireland secured a place in the Euro 2025 play-offs with a 2-0 victory over Malta at the Centenary Stadium. An early own goal by Emma Lipman and a late goal from Kerry Beattie ensured the win for Tanya Oxtoby’s side, who will discover their play-off opponents on July 19. Northern Ireland, looking to rebound from a narrow loss to Portugal, made four changes to their lineup, including starting forwards Casey Howe and Beattie.
Despite the Ta’ Qali heat, Malta started strong with early chances, including a shot that hit the post and a towering header saved by Jackie Burns. The breakthrough for Northern Ireland came in the ninth minute when Lipman’s attempted back-pass to goalkeeper Patricia Ebejer went awry and ended up in the net. The first half saw a flurry of activity with Ebejer making a fine save from Rachel Dugdale’s header and Rebecca Holloway missing a chance.
The second half was quieter with Northern Ireland patiently seeking to extend their lead. They finally succeeded in the 80th minute when Beattie headed in a close-range goal from a Rebecca McKenna delivery. Oxtoby’s team now focuses on their final qualifier against Bosnia & Herzegovina at Windsor Park. A win in this match would secure second place in their group behind Portugal, potentially making them a seeded team in the play-off draw.
Overall, Northern Ireland’s performance was marked by resilience and strategic play, with a notable defensive effort and timely goals that ensured their progression to the next stage of Euro 2025 qualification.
Judd Trump advanced to the last 16 of the English Open with a decisive 4-1…
Maro Itoje newly appointed Saracens captain aims to prove former England coach Eddie Jones wrong…
Martin Ødegaard has sustained a “quite significant” ankle ligament injury, according to Arsenal manager Mikel…
Salvatore Schillaci, who passed away at age 59 became an iconic figure during Italia '90…
Kamindu Mendis continued his impressive start to Test cricket scoring his fourth century on day…
Fossil fuel companies have invested over £4 billion in sports sponsorships according to a recent…