Northern Ireland - 0 Ukraine - 0: Sammy McIlroy's defensive gamble paid off last night when Northern Ireland picked up their first point in the qualifying campaign by frustrating Ukraine at Windsor Park.
McIlroy was so short of options that he drafted in midfielders Steve Lomas and Kevin Horlock at right and left back respectively. McIlroy was without four defenders with Gerry Taggart, Danny Griffin, Mark Williams and Peter Kennedy all sidelined through injury.
After the 3-0 defeat by Spain, this was a much improved performance by the Irish. On the downside they failed to take home advantage and have not scored in five games.
Midfielder Michael Hughes was recalled to the starting line-up, as was striker David Healy. Hughes has not played this season for Wimbledon as he is involved in a bitter contract dispute involving Birmingham.
McIlory decided to go with Healy and Paul McVeigh up front as they aimed to end a goal famine.
They certainly made a good start and Michael Hughes played a short free-kick to Keith Gillespie. He sent a shot into the side-netting only for the referee to order the kick to be retaken. Hughes again took it and found Healy but his glancing header ended the wrong side of the post.
Then Phil Mulryne turned quickly and rattled in a shot that stung the fingers of goalkeeper Vitaliy Reva.
The Ukrainians threatened for the first time when Mykhaylo Starostyak found Maxym Kalynychenko with a good cross but his shot went over the top.
Andriy Vorobyey was then left clear only for Aaron Hughes to get in a timely challenge. There was another scare for the Irish in the 22nd minute when Kalynychenko again got clear but failed to find the target.
Ukraine were beginning to look menacing and Vorobyey found space in the area only to drag his shot across the face of the goal.
The Irish continued to breach the visiting defence with Gillespie and Damien Johnson busy and inventive.
The Irish almost went ahead on the stroke of half-time when George McCartney got on the end of a free-kick from Michael Hughes. With his back to goal, the Sunderland defender sent a header just over the top.
The experienced Michael Hughes, showing none of the rustiness expected of someone who had not played this season, got through a huge amount of work.
However, he showed a lack of confidence when he found himself in a good position in front of goal. Instead of trying his luck, he attempted to find Johnson and the ball was hacked away to safety.
Tottenham striker Sergiy Rebrov was then called into the action after 53 minutes. His introduction was a clear indication the Ukrainians were frustrated at not breaking the Irish down.
McIlory decided to take off the tiring McVeigh in the 65th minute and replace him with Andy Kirk of Hearts.
Rebrov should have done better in the 68th minute when he got on the end of a cross. He got a good enough contact on his header but the direction was all wrong, the ball going well wide of the post.
The Ukrainians looked more dangerous with Rebrov back in the side and Gennady Zubov rattled in a shot from an acute angle that went inches over the bar.
Substitute Oleksandr Melashchenko then tested goalkeeper Maik Taylor with shot from an acute angle.
The Irish suffered a blow after 84 minutes when Johnson limped off and was replaced by Colin Murdock.
Ukraine nearly snatched a victory late in the game when Andriy Voronin rattled in a shot that went narrowly wide.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Taylor, Lomas, McCartney, Aaron Hughes, Johnson (Murdock 84), Horlock, Gillespie, Mulryne (McCann 90), Michael Hughes, McVeigh (Kirk 65), Healy. Subs Not Used: Carroll, Holmes, Toner, Baird. Booked: Michael Hughes.
UKRAINE: Reva, Luzhny, Starostyak, Tymoschuk, Kormiltsev (Lysytskyy 88), Husin, Voronin, Kalynychenko (Rebrov 53), Zubov, Vorebey (Melashchenko 75), Radchenko. Subs Not Used: Shutkov, Matiukhin, Venhlinsky, Konovalov. Booked: Husin.
