Terry Devlin’s 68th-minute strike leaves Northern Ireland one game from Nations League promotion

Terry Devlin scored his first international goal in the 68th minute as Northern Ireland beat Ukraine at Windsor Park in Saturday's Nations League fixture, a win that leaves their fate in their own hands ahead of a trip to Hungary.

Northern Ireland had entered the match still without conceding in the competition but had failed to score at home in previous draws with Hungary and Georgia in Belfast; they also had only one Nations League victory in 16 League B matches prior to this campaign. Michael O'Neill fielded a youthful side with an average starting XI age of 22.9 and eight players aged 23 or under.

Devlin collected the ball on the edge of the area in the 68th minute and struck into the corner, prompting a loud response from the Windsor Park crowd. Jamie Donley had appeared to score in the first half but his effort was ruled out for offside, leaving Devlin's late finish as the decisive moment.

O'Neill praised Devlin's qualities and versatility, saying: "Terry's a great lad. He deserves everything he'll get from the game and he's one of those lads that maximises what he has." On the player's manner and contribution he added: "He does it with no fuss. He tries to do it to the best of his ability. "He's a bit of a dream for a manager and he has the ability to contribute goals." The manager also outlined Devlin's club form: "He's a very valuable player for Portsmouth and I think he's in the process of signing a new contract there, and I imagine a lot of teams in the Championship will be disappointed by that." The 23-year-old moved to Portsmouth in 2023 after spells with Dungannon Swifts and Glentoran and is reported in the match coverage as the club's top scorer in the Championship this season.

Goalkeeper Pierce Charles produced a crucial late reflex save to deny Danylo Sikan, preserving Northern Ireland's clean sheet streak in the Nations League. The 21-year-old has not conceded in the campaign and has kept five consecutive shutouts, amounting to 466 minutes without shipping a goal for Northern Ireland. O'Neill defended the defensive record and Charles's decision-making, saying: "You don't keep five clean sheets because you're good with the ball at your feet. You keep five clean sheets because you make good decisions. You make saves when it's needed. He kind of does it without any fuss as well, which I think is really good. "He doesn't come and cause any issues with the back-three, which is very important for any goalkeeper, and he has a good decision-making process and a good understanding of the game."

Discipline in Belfast will have consequences for the Hungary trip after O'Neill and Jamie Donley both received yellow cards for reactions to French referee Francois Letexier's decisions. Donley's booking, which came for protesting after Letexier did not stop play when Trai Hume was bleeding from a cut on his head, was described by O'Neill as a "poor yellow". On his own caution he said: "The referee doesn't like my reaction and there's not much I can do about that. "I would assume that I'm going to have to watch the game from the stands, but I'll be able to influence it from there, I'm sure." O'Neill also noted Donley's value to the team: "I thought Jamie had a very good game for us. He'll be a blow for us."

Hungary's earlier win in Georgia increased the stakes for the final group match, turning Tuesday's fixture in Budapest into an effective Group B2 decider. Northern Ireland are guaranteed at least a promotion play-off but can secure automatic elevation to League A for the first time with a positive result in Hungary. O'Neill stated: "We were aware that Hungary had won the game earlier and we're in a great position. "It would be great to win the group. It will be a tough, tough game but this is a brilliant game for us. It's a great arena to play in." He added: "For a nation of our size, with our players at this stage of their careers, to have a chance to win the group and also to be playing Nations League A is a big achievement. "I think we would probably be one of the smaller nations to play at Nations League A level since the start of the competition. "We want to try to achieve that and we have a chance to do that on Tuesday night." He also identified an unbeaten defensive record for the campaign as a target, noting that maintaining it would not only secure promotion but also clinch a play-off route for Euro 2028 as a back-up.

Northern Ireland travel to Hungary on Tuesday for the Group B2 decider; a draw or better in Budapest would secure promotion to Nations League A for the first time, while at minimum the side will have a promotion play-off to contest.