Northern Ireland remain at the summit of Nations League Group B2 after a scoreless stalemate against Hungary in Belfast, which leaves them with four points from their opening pair of fixtures.
Fans in Windsor Park hoped for another dramatic finish following Shea Charles’ stoppage time winner against Georgia on Friday, but this contest never produced the same theatre. Chances were scarce throughout, and neither side truly threatened to break the deadlock.
The best opening of the first period fell to Patrick Kelly. The Barnsley midfielder lifted a close range effort onto the woodwork, possibly put off by the tussle between Milos Kerkez and Shea Charles right in front of him. Earlier, he had forced Balazs Toth into action when a neat chip on the break lacked the necessary precision. Isaac Price and Trai Hume also tried their luck from long range without reward.
Hungary, led out by skipper Dominik Szoboszlai, looked sharper after the interval, yet their first attempts on target did not arrive until close to the hour. Andras Schafer sent two shots off course. Substitute Donat Barany then squandered a good opportunity, nodding over from just five yards with twenty minutes left.
Northern Ireland pushed again late on. Price saw a shot from a fortunate rebound in the area turned wide by Toth, while Ruairi McConville produced a superb block at the opposite end. Alex Toth had a final chance to snatch victory for the visitors just before added time, but Pierce Charles got down to push it away. That was the goalkeeper’s first real involvement of the evening, arriving in the 90th minute.
The result extends a fine home run. Michael O’Neill’s side, or rather the hosts, had lost only once in their previous nine matches on home soil, and Germany remain the only visiting team to win here across that stretch.
Their tally now matches second placed Ukraine, whom they meet in Slovakia on Friday in the third match of this international window.
