Oxtoby: Northern Ireland Players ‘Deserved Better’ in Croatia

Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby stated that her players “deserved better,” expressing criticism regarding the conditions encountered during their Euro 2025 play-off first leg in Croatia. Oxtoby assumed her role as Northern Ireland manager in September 2023. The Euro 2025 play-off first round second leg, Northern Ireland v Croatia, is scheduled for Tuesday, 29 October, with a 19:00 GMT kick-off at Windsor Park, Belfast. Coverage will be available live on the BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app. Oxtoby highlighted a “lack of professional courtesy” after the floodlights were not activated promptly for a training session held the evening prior to the first leg. Subsequently, on Saturday, the day after the 1-1 draw in Varazdin, Northern Ireland cancelled a planned training session, citing dissatisfaction with the facilities provided by the Croatian Football Association. “We hold ourselves to a really high standard and obviously we’re disappointed that those standards were not reciprocated,” Oxtoby said ahead of the second leg. “But we can’t control that. We got the draw and now we will look to really assert ourselves on the game, now we are in a position to control all the fundamentals.” Responding to an inquiry about the frustration stemming from the unreciprocated standards within the team, Oxtoby commented: “It’s part of the challenge but the players deserve better, if I’m honest. It shouldn’t be about coaches or any of us, it should be about how the players deserve the opportunity to prepare for one of the biggest games of their careers in the right manner.” The Croatian Football Association (FA), in a statement issued to BBC Sport, asserted that it “cannot agree” with the claim of a “lack of professional courtesy.” It stated: “We always try to meet our guests and ensure adequate conditions, which we did this time as well.” The association further clarified that the floodlight problem preceding the pre-match training session arose “due to technical reasons” and stated that it is “not responsible” for supplying training pitches to visiting teams. Notwithstanding the external distractions surrounding the match, Northern Ireland secured a 1-1 draw in Croatia, following an injury-time own goal by Izabela Lojna, who had also scored an early penalty for the home side. Commenting on the match, Oxtoby expressed a “positive” view of her team’s performance and conveyed confidence that her squad could advance to the subsequent play-off round. Should Northern Ireland secure a victory in Belfast on Tuesday, they are then anticipated to compete against Norway for a spot in the Euro 2025 finals, scheduled for Switzerland next summer. The home team’s prospects are enhanced by the return of midfielder Joely Andrews, who was absent from the first leg due to injury; meanwhile, defender Rachel Dugdale is set to undergo assessment after sustaining a knock in Croatia. Eighteen-year-old Linfield defender Abi Sweetlove has been called up to Oxtoby’s squad to provide cover. “I thought we dominated the ball and created loads of opportunities”, said Oxtoby, who added she has “selection headaches” for the second leg. “We need to be a bit more clinical, which is some of the things that we have been discussing, but, apart from that penalty, I don’t think you can ask for much more. We need to make sure we convert that dominance with the ball in the final third into goals.” When questioned about the crucial factor for delivering a match-winning performance across 90 minutes, Oxtoby emphasized the importance of patience: “If things don’t go your way in the first 20 or 25 minutes, then it’s about having the confidence and patience in what you are trying to do, that it will come. I’ve seen a lot of maturity from the group in that area. They have the patience to probe and try different things, and our principles of play have been really positive. It’s another opportunity to do that and I’m really excited to see how they go.”