- Fran Reilly
- Sun, Jun 12 2016
Poland recorded a first ever European Championships victory in Nice on Sunday evening, Arkadiusz Milik putting Northern Ireland on the wrong side of a 1-0 score-line.
The Poles were well worth the win after creating the majority of the chances in the game, with only wasteful finishing and a stern defensive effort from Norn Iron preventing the margin of victory from being even wider.
The result ended the North's 12 game unbeaten run and left Michael O'Neill's side with a mountain to climb to get out of Group C with games against Ukraine and Germany still to come.
While this was Northern Ireland's first ever European Championships match, Poland arrived in France seeking a first Euros victory in their third finals appearance – the Poles had drawn three and lost three of their six matches in the competition to date.
Adam Nawalka's side dominated the early exchanges, flooding the Northern Ireland half without creating many clear cut opportunities. In the fifth minute, Milik had a half-chance when a cross dropped to him in the penalty area, but, surrounded by Northern Ireland defenders, he completely missed his right foot volley attempt.
It was Milik who drew the first save of either keeper when his whipped effort from 25 yards stung the palms of Michael McGovern. Moments later and danger man Milik should have put Poland ahead.
Lukasz Piszczek overlapped from right-back and managed to get to the byline before cutting the ball back into the heart of the area. The Ajax striker did well to sidestep a sliding challenge to make the space to shoot, but could only blaze over from eight yards.
Poland's accuracy for all their dominance was poor, but McGovern did need to be alert in the 38th minute when the Poles changed their corner routine. After a number of poor deliveries, Poland opted to take their next corner short and the cross from the return ball hit Irish striker Kyle Lafferty awkwardly.
Polish players appealed for handball, but Bartosz Kapustka wasn't hanging around waiting to see if a penalty would be given. He chested and controlled the ball before unleashing a fierce left-foot volley which McGovern did incredibly well to tip over the bar with both hands.
O'Neill's charges ventured out of their own half very rarely in the opening 45 minutes, struggling to make anything in the way of set-piece opportunities stick, with Kyle Lafferty cutting a forlorn figure in his isolation at times.
Norn Iron had done well to soak up so much pressure in the first-half and O'Neill brought Stuart Dallas on at half-time for Paddy McNair perhaps with a view to getting his team further up the pitch. However, disaster struck just over five minutes into the restart as Poland took a deserved lead.
Jonny Evans could only partially clear a long ball and it was recycled out wide to Blaszczykowski. The Dortmund winger, on loan at Fiorentina last season, played his cutback at just the right time for the onrushing Milik, who took a touch to compose himself before firing left-footed past a helpless McGovern to make it 1-0.
Now behind, the North had no choice but to try and be more aggressive in their attempts to go forward. They won their first corner in in the 67th minute when Dallas' cross was cut out, but the resulting delivery wasn't challenged by anybody and Wojciech Szczesny was able to theatrically punch clear.
Then, in the 71st minute, substitute Conor Washington was sent running clear down the right flank. He headed the ball ahead of himself to chase, but there was just too much on it and Szczesny was able to rush off his line to smother, sending the QPR striker flying in the process.
Lafferty tried a bicycle-kick from the edge of the box after controlling a bouncing ball but it never looked like going in. However, during this period, Poland still came forward with Blaszczykowski and Maczynski firing wide.
Poland substitute Kamil Grosicki's first touch was a shot at goal that was deflected out for a corner. The initial corner was cleared, but Grosicki crossed back in, the ball pin balled around the area, the Northern Ireland defence tried to move up but it eventually dropped for goalscorer Milik whose volley went straight at McGovern.
A training ground routine almost came off for O'Neill's men, Washington holding off Jedrzejczyk as Steve Davis tried to latch onto the low ball into the area – but it just had too much on it and ran agonizingly beyond the reach of Davis who slipped in stretching for it.
Szczesny clattered Piszczek in trying to claim a cross at the end, but Poland were able to see out the game and gain a valuable three points in Group C.
Poland: Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Piszczek, Michal Pazden, Kamil Glik, Artur Jedrzejczyk; Krzysztof Maczynski (Tomasz Jodlowiec, 78), Grzegorz Krychowiak, Bartosz Kapustka (Slawomir Peszko, 87), Jakub Blaszczykowski (Kamil Grosicki, 79); Arkadiusz Milik; Robert Lewandowski.
Subs not used: Artur Boruc (GK) ,Lukasz Fabianski (GK), Piotr Zielinski, Jakub Wawrzyniak, Mariusz Stepinski, Filip Starzynski, Bartosz Salamon, Karol Linetty, Thiago Cionek.
Yellow Cards: Kapustka (65), Piszczek (88).
Northern Ireland: Michael McGovern; Conor McLaughlin, Gareth McAuley, Jonny Evans, Craig Cathcart, Shane Ferguson (Conor Washington, 66); Oliver Norwood, Patrick McNair (Stuart Dallas, HT), Chris Baird (Jamie Ward, 76); Steven Davis; Kyle Lafferty.
Subs not used: Alan Mannus (GK), Roy Carroll (GK), Niall McGinn, Luke McCullough, Josh Magennis, Aaron Hughes, Lee Hodson, Will Grigg, Corry Evans.
Yellow Cards: Cathcart (68).
Referee: .Ovidiu Ha?egan (ROU).
Attendance: 33,742.
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Arkadiusz Milik (Poland).
