Norway 3-0 Northern Ireland: Oxtoby says NI have come on in ‘leaps and bounds’ in 2024
Nearly a year has passed since Northern Ireland ended their first Nations League campaign with a 6-1 win over the Republic of Ireland at Windsor Park.
At that stage, there were more questions than answers about where Northern Ireland would go under Tanya Oxtoby, who takes office in August 2023.
They showed signs of promise in that NFC game, albeit in fits and starts to most people rather than continuous 90-minute performances.
But now, a year on, there is no doubt that Northern Ireland are a team on the rise, despite a 7-0 aggregate defeat in the play-off final at the last hurdle of back-to-back European Cups. Norway.
They end 2024 with a record of 12 games, winning five, drawing three and losing four, showing they can break down stubborn defenses at home and away and remain clinical about their chances.
Four losses even came with a warning; Portugal home and away and Norway home and away, both teams ranked significantly higher than NI in the FIFA rankings.
Head coach Oxtoby is pleased to reflect on the progress made after a full year of competition.
“I’ve said it 120 times, we’re on the road and our girls get better every time we compete and challenge ourselves,” she told BBC Sport NI
“We’re proud of where we started and where we are now, and we want to continue that journey.”
