NI 'super psyched' for Republic challenge - Oxtoby

Published on: 02 December 2023

Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby says her side is "super psyched" for Tuesday's Nations League match against the Republic of Ireland after defeating Albania 4-0 in Tirana on Friday.

Simone Magill scored twice and Danielle Maxwell and Megan Bell were both on target as Oxtoby's side kept alive their hopes of promotion to League A.

"Tuesday is going to be a new challenge, for us to take this performance and be able to apply that against a team that's in form," said Oxtoby of facing the Republic.

An own goal from Henrietta Csiszar gave the Republic a 1-0 victory over Hungary at the Tallaght Stadium in Dublin on Friday.

Eileen Gleeson's side have already won promotion to League A, having won all of their Nations League fixtures to date in Group B1.

Northern Ireland now sit above Hungary in the second spot which would earn them a play-off place were they to retain that position after Tuesday's matches.

"We spoke about making sure we didn't give them anything and if they were to get anything out of the game it was that we make them earn it," said Oxtobyexternal-link of the win over Albania.

"I thought everyone contributed tonight, which was excellent. Some of the things we have been working on in training came off. There's progress there.

"We wanted to be super aggressive in terms of our defence and make sure that when we did lose it we were in positions to win it back quickly.

"I thought we did that exceptionally well. We also asked at half-time that we be that little more clinical in the final third, which again we got in the second half."

Source: bbc.com

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