Shea Charles struck in the ninth minute of stoppage time to give Northern Ireland a 1-0 win over Georgia in Tbilisi on Friday, after his younger brother Pierce had saved a second-half penalty from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. It was Michael O'Neill's side's first ever win in League B of the UEFA Nations League, in their first game back in the second tier since relegation in 2020.
Match facts
- Result: Georgia 0-1 Northern Ireland (half-time 0-0)
- Competition: UEFA Nations League B, Group 2, Matchday 1
- Venue: Boris Paichadze National Stadium (Dinamo Arena), Tbilisi
- Scorers: Northern Ireland - Shea Charles 90+9'
- Red cards: None
- Next: Northern Ireland v Hungary, Monday 28 September (Windsor Park); Georgia v Ukraine, Monday 28 September
A family affair in Tbilisi
Northern Ireland shaded a quiet first half, in which Trai Hume cleared a Giorgi Kvernadze header off the line. Georgia raised the tempo after the break, and Pierce Charles kept them out with saves from Georges Mikautadze and Otar Kiteishvili.
The biggest moment came in the 65th minute. After a VAR review, the referee penalised Dan Ballard for pulling Luka Lochoshvili's shirt in the box, but Pierce Charles dived to his left to stop the spot-kick from Kvaratskhelia, the Paris Saint-Germain forward and Ballon d'Or nominee.
At the other end, Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili denied Shea Charles from close range. The Fulham midfielder still had the final word, turning in Hume's cross three minutes after the six signalled added minutes had expired. The goal stood after another VAR check.
"The win sets us up really well for Belfast," Shea Charles told BBC Two NI, adding that his brother had made "a few massive saves to keep us in the game".
O'Neill praises players, criticises referee
The game was played largely behind closed doors because of a UEFA sanction on Georgia over crowd trouble at an earlier home match. O'Neill said his players were "magnificent" but was unhappy with the officiating.
"To me, it seems incredibly harsh to give the penalty," he told BBC Two NI. "I was just baffled by the quality of the refereeing."
What happens next
The win came at a cost. Ballard went off in stoppage time, and O'Neill said the defender has a hamstring problem, will have a scan and will miss at least the next three games.
Northern Ireland host Hungary at Windsor Park on Monday, face Ukraine on 2 October and then welcome Georgia to Belfast on 5 October. Georgia host Ukraine on Monday.
Northern Ireland were not the only side to settle an opener late: on Thursday, Vedat Muriqi's 83rd-minute header gave Kosovo victory over the Republic of Ireland in League B, and Anastasios Douvikas won it for Greece in Belgrade five minutes into stoppage time.