Northern Ireland drew 1-1 with a solid Switzerland team in an international challenge match in Belfast tonight.
Another Isaac Price wonder strike gave Northern Ireland the lead before the Swiss hit back. Both goals were scored in the first half.
At 21 years and 176 days the attacking midfielder became the second youngest player to reach seven goals at senior level for Northern Ireland. The youngest is Norman Whiteside, who was just 19 years and 359 days when he recorded his seventh goal in a 2-0 World Cup qualifier win in Belfast in May 1985.
Michael O’Neill’s side went toe to toe with a team 51 places above them in the FIFA world rankings. They created the better chances in the game and competed well throughout against Murat Yakin’s team.
Northern Ireland started brightly in front of 17,862 fans at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park.
Paul Smyth threatened down the right. He fired in a low cross-come-shot which was comfortably gathered by Swiss keeper Gregor Kobel.
In the 16th minute Northern Ireland took the lead thanks to a stunning free-kick from Price. The hard-running Lee Bonis, making his first start for the senior men’s team, was hauled down on the edge of the area. George Saville rolled the resulting free-kick to Price and from an angle he drilled the ball past Kobel into the corner of the net. It was a beauty.
On 25 minutes Price played a superb defence-splitting pass to Bonis. He raced towards goal but was unable to get a shot away as Swiss defender Cedric Zesiger and the keeper closed him down.
Switzerland, who are ranked 20th in the world, equalised four minutes later. Ricardo Rodriguez swung in a corner. The unmarked Vincent Sierro rose highest and planted a strong header past Pierce Charles into the net.
Trai Hume made a couple of important interventions as the Swiss attack intermittently stirred into life.
In the 43rd minute Bonis was teed up by Shea Charles, however his snapshot drifted wide of the post.
Just after the interval Ethan Galbraith was pulled down by Rodriguez out wide. Shea Charles whipped in the free-kick across the face of goal. Price connected with the ball but it squirmed onto the roof of the net.
Brodie Spencer produced an excellent block to thwart Isaac Schmidt as he prepared to let fly.
Galbraith superbly controlled a Swiss clearance on his chest inside the area and his volley from 12 yards went just past the post.
On 55 minutes O’Neill made a double substitution. Jamie Donley came on for his senior debut, while Dale Taylor also entered the fray from the bench.
Galbraith was on hand to clear the ball as the visitors threatened.
On 74 minutes Terry Devlin made his senior international bow and a minute later substitute Justin Devenny whipped in a corner which was met by Donley and his glancing header was pushed away by Kobel.
Pierce Charles got down well to keep out a header from Swiss substitute Andi Zeqiri as the game ebbed and flowed. Minutes later Zeqiri got in behind the Northern Ireland defence but just failed to connect with a long ball over the top.
Both teams huffed and puffed after that, however no further clearcut chances were created.
Next up for Northern Ireland is a trip to Stockholm on Tuesday (25 March) where they will take on Sweden in another friendly at the Strawberry Arena.
Northern Ireland: Pierce Charles, Trai Hume, Brodie Spencer, Ciaron Brown, Paddy McNair (captain), George Saville, Paul Smyth, Shea Charles, Lee Bonis, Ethan Galbraith, Isaac Price.
Substitutes: (used) Jamie Donley, Dale Taylor, Justin Devenny, Terry Devlin; (unused) Conor Hazard, Luke Southwood, Ruairi McConville, Aaron Donnelly, Callum Marshall, Brad Lyons, Jordan Thompson, Ronan Hale, Ross McCausland, Kofi Balmer.
Switzerland: Gregor Kobel, Isaac Schmidt, Stefan Gartenmann, Ricardo Rodriguez, Cedric Zesiger, Denis Zakaria, Vincent Sierro, Michel Aebischer, Breel Embolo (captain), Dan Ndoye, Ruben Vargas.
Substitutes: (used) Andi Zeqiri, Joel Monteiro, Fabian Rieder, Alvyn Sanches, Lucas Blondel, Djibril Sow; (unused) Yvon Mvogo (GK), Pascal Loretz (GK), Albian Hajdari, Miro Muheim, Aurele Amenda, Eray Comert.
Action from the National Stadium
