Filed under: Euro 2012, Football, Match Previews
EURO 2012 QUALIFIER: WINDSOR PARK, TUESDAY MARCH 29 2011. KICK-OFF: 1945 BSTWith a smattering of teams competing for Group C's second spot, this is a game that Slovenia cannot afford to lose and that Northern Ireland absolutely must win.
Nigel Worthington's team put up a decent fight in Serbia on Friday only for the hosts' quality to shine through as they came from behind for a 2-1 victory that leaves the Irish second bottom of the table with five points from their four games.
Slovenia currently sit second with seven points from their five matches after they went down 1-0 to Italy.
Worthington's plans have been hit by the withdrawals of Aaron Hughes and Kyle Lafferty, while David Healy is suspended.
The one thing that Northern Ireland have been able to rely on in recent years is continuity of selection and their thin resources will be severely stretched.
Key Match-up: Warren Feeney (Northern Ireland) v Marko Suler (Slovenia). Feeney is struggling to get a game for League One Oldham but always raises his performance and runs himself into the ground for his country. Feeney scored in his country's 1-0 win over Slovenia in April 2009 and he will surely carry his side's greatest threat. Ghent defender Suler will be tasked with holding the visitors' defence together.
Form Guide: It might raise a few eyebrows that Worthington's team, so famed for their home record, have not won at Windsor Park since that victory over Slovenia almost two years ago. Northern Ireland are winless in five matches since they opened their qualifying campaign with a 1-0 victory in Slovenia. Matjaz Kek's Slovenia side seem to struggle for consistency but have won five of their last three matches.
Odds: Northern Ireland 7/4, Slovenia 8/5, Draw 11/5.
NORTHERN IRELAND:
With the Faroe Islands expected to lose all 10 of their matches, the two points that Northern Ireland dropped there in October were always likely to give the Irish a headache and so it has proved.
There is no playing down the significance of this match at Windsor Park and if Worthington's side fail to pick up a second victory of the campaign, they will face a huge task in pushing for second place.
But their cause has not been helped by several injury worries that will have Worthington selecting a side much different to the one he has had in his mind for many weeks.
Skipper Hughes is set to miss his first competitive match since 2007 after picking up a shoulder injury in Belgrade and Gareth McAuley will wear the armband in his place.
Strikers Lafferty and Healy, plus Rangers midfielder Steven Davis with a knee problem sustained playing for his club, are unavailable and goalkeeper Maik Taylor was ruled out with a knee injury last week.
Worthington started with Corry Evans and John Gorman in Belgrade and has also called up Millwall youngster Josh McQuoid as cover for his attack.
"I have brought Josh in because Kyle will have to go back to Rangers for treatment and obviously David is out," Worthington told the Belfast Telegraph.
"Josh is a good young player with plenty to offer us. He has a good turn of pace and is full of enthusiasm and drive and will be a welcome addition for what is now a very big game.
"He is also another young player in the squad and I really see that as the way forward for us. Sometimes you just have to move on and build for the future."
Needs must and although hopes of reaching a first European Championships have taken a significant blow over the last two matches, Worthington is right to think there is little to separate Serbia, Slovenia and Estonia.
But even he acknowledges that three points will be key against the Slovenians. There are three or four vying for the second spot in the group," he said. "For us to be keeping an eye on second spot we need to win tomorrow night and we'll still have a game in hand."
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