Ten-man Northern Ireland’s dismal Euro 2024 qualifying campaign continued as they lost 1-0 to Slovenia on another disappointing night at Windsor Park.
Adam Cerin’s superb early free-kick won a scrappy game for the Group H leaders, with teenage midfielder Shea Charles being sent off just before the hour.
Substitute George Saville had two good chances saved in the final 20 minutes as struggling NI fell to their sixth defeat in eight qualifying games.
They beat San Marino 3-0 on Saturday.
Having opened their campaign in March with a 2-0 away victory over the minnows, it means Michael O’Neill’s men go into their final two matches in the group with their only points having come against the world’s lowest-ranked side.
Those remaining games are away to Finland then at home to Denmark, who had to come from behind to beat San Marino 2-1 to stay second in the table.
In-form Slovenia, who had a Benjamin Sesko goal ruled out by VAR, celebrated with their travelling fans at the end of what was their sixth win in eight qualifiers to keep them ahead of the Danes at the summit on goal difference.
Kazakhstan also boosted their hopes of qualification by coming from behind to win 2-1 in Finland in Tuesday night’s other Group H match.
The fifth-minute goal that won Tuesday night’s often disjointed encounter at Windsor Park was exquisite. Northern Ireland left-back Jamal Lewis was, perhaps harshly, adjudged to have fouled Benjamin Sesko 20 yards from goal, and Cerin fired an outstanding right-foot shot that curled around the wall and flew into the top corner.
Northern Ireland went into the match knowing that any hopes of qualifying for next summer’s finals in Germany were long gone, but boosted by Saturday’s comfortable victory over San Marino and determined to finish the group strongly.
It has been a campaign decimated by injuries for O’Neill, many to experienced key players, and their problems continued ahead of kick-off with centre-half Dan Ballard ruled out with a calf injury and Paddy McNair suspended after picking up a booking on Saturday.
NI’s bad luck continued in the 59th minute when fussy Romanian referee István Kovacs showed Southampton 19-year-old Charles a second yellow card for a foul on Andraz Sporar, which meant a red after he had booked him for protesting against the free-kick that led to the Slovenia goal.
O’Neill had sprung a surprise by handing senior international debuts to Bolton Wanderers centre-half Eoin Toal and Kilmarnock midfielder Brad Lyons, and keeping the same front three of Paul Smyth, Josh Magennis and Dale Taylor that started against San Marino.
His side struggled to create chances in the first half but had two good chances to equalise through substitute Saville, who on both times was not able to get enough power in his shot to beat goalkeeper and captain Jan Oblak.
The first was in the 70th minute when Isaac Price went on a fine run down the right and delivered a low cross, with second coming on 83 minutes when fellow sub Conor Washington’s lay-off fell to him in the box but again Oblak was able to save comfortably.
