Michael O’Neill saw plenty of positives to take from Northern Ireland’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Denmark as he kept his sights firmly on the World Cup qualifying campaign that starts in September.
Christian Eriksen’s second-half strike completed a come-from-behind win for the Danes as Northern Ireland suffered a second straight defeat after March’s 5-1 loss to Sweden.
But Saturday’s match was not about the result for O’Neill, who wanted to give his young squad another tough test away to top-level opposition with a trip to Germany looming after they open their qualifying campaign in Luxembourg.
From that point of view there was plenty for Northern Ireland to be happy with. After taking the lead through Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s early own goal, O’Neill’s men did not allow Denmark a shot on target until Gustav Isaksen’s fine strike in first-half stoppage time.
However, Northern Ireland did not do enough going the other way, and ended the match not registering a shot on target themselves.
“I thought it was a game that wasn’t really played like a friendly game,” O’Neill said. “I thought it had a little bit of an edge to it, which was good.
“We couldn’t have got off to a better start. I thought we started the game very well and obviously we get ahead. I thought we thought we defended really well in the first half, we knew we’d have to defend our box well.
“It was a bit of individual brilliance from Isaksen that gives them the equaliser before half-time so half-time has a little bit of a different feel…
“We lost the second goal but then I thought we really dug in.”
Denmark, ranked 50 places above Northern Ireland, had a huge edge in quality and experience and that was what eventually told. But O’Neill recognises there is still more they can do to make themselves competitive.
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“We were never going to be a dominant possession-based team against any of these teams,” O’Neill added. “We’re asking players who play their football at League One or Championship level to go out against players from the top five leagues in Europe.
“The way we have to try to close that gap is to be what we are, a team that’s well-organised, well-structured, difficult to beat, that comes to frustrate the opposition, but obviously to carry a threat as well.
“There’s no shame in coming here and losing the game 2-1, not at all. But in terms of where we need to get to as a team, we need to be able to retain the ball a little bit better, maybe find a little bit more in terms of level of possession and that will help us carry a bigger threat.”
The scoreline would have finished more strongly in Denmark’s favour were it not for a number of saves made by 19-year-old goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who came on at half-time in place of Conor Hazard who was hurt in a first-half collision with Rasmus Hojlund.
“It’s not an easy situation for young Pierce coming in and playing but I thought he dealt with it well,” O’Neill said.
“He’s a very good young goalkeeper. You’re defending your box at that point in time but the game gets a bit stretched, we’re physically tired in the game. But it’s important you keep the game at 2-1 because that’s how you may get an opportunity.”
