Northern Ireland dare to dream after perfect start to Euro 2020 qualifying

Belfast’s Monday morning papers made good reading for Northern Ireland fans. One headline captured the mood: ‘Magennis Is Good For You.’ (It’s pronounced McGuinness).

The previous evening at Windsor Park Josh Magennis had left the bench to stab an 87th minute winner against Belarus to give Michael O’Neill’s squad two wins from two games in daunting Group C.

O’Neill had described such a start as “essential” and 2-0 versus Estonia and 2-1 against Belarus leaves the Irish top, albeit temporarily, of a group containing Germany and Holland. Neither game over the past four days has been easy, however, and the Irish felt stretched physically late on against Belarus.

Scarce resources, admirable wins

Key players such as captain Steven Davis and Kyle Lafferty simply do not get enough first-team minutes and it showed. Young goalkeeper, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, has lost his place at Leeds. To win twice, therefore, is all the more admirable.

O’Neill’s scarce resources are well-known – only Jonny Evans and Craig Cathcart play in the Premier League. When O’Neill needed substitutes, they came from clubs in the bottom five of the Championship – Magennis (Bolton) Shane Ferguson (Millwall) and from League One, Liam Boyce at Burton Albion.

Magennis is an emblem of the squad. The 28-year-old Bolton striker was a talented rugby player who became a goalkeeper at Cardiff City, made his debut up front, joined Aberdeen and became a right-back. Moving to Kilmarnock in 2014 he returned to his forward role, was then sold to Charlton and, last summer, to Bolton. There, of course, he is an unpaid employee with an uncertain future.

“It’s hard not to get distracted by what happens off the field,” Magennis said of Bolton, “especially when you don’t get paid.”

He and O’Neill’s squad continue to defy their limits. But Group C only gets harder.