'A lot to learn' as NI not pitch perfect in Bulgaria

"We person to study from it, prime ourselves up and spell again."

That was nan nonstop connection from Conor Bradley aft Northern Ireland's 1-0 conclusion by Bulgaria successful nan Nations League connected Sunday.

After a difficult fewer years, things had been looking up for Northern Ireland pinch 4 wins successful their erstwhile six matches.

In fact, their only conclusion successful that clip had travel astatine nan hands of Spain, who went connected to triumph Euro 2024 a fewer weeks aft powering past Michael O'Neill's young team.

Thursday's triumph complete Luxembourg astatine Windsor Park only only added to nan belief and confidence, but that momentum was halted successful Bulgaria connected a lukewarm Sunday evening.

The hosts were connected apical from nan first whistle, and aft doubly striking nan post, they were talented a deserved lead erstwhile goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell played a loose walk to Daniel Ballard, which led to skipper Kiril Despodov tapping into an quiet nett 5 minutes earlier nan break.

While Northern Ireland improved aft nan half-time break and piled connected plentifulness of precocious pressure, they could not find nan decisive infinitesimal to effort and find an equaliser.

"In nan 2nd half I thought we played really well. We cognize nan first half wasn't bully enough," said Liverpool full-back Bradley.

"We didn't support nan shot good capable and we kept giving distant free-kicks. We brought nan unit connected ourselves. There's a batch to study from it."

After nan departure of respective knowledgeable players complete nan past 12 months, excitement had started to build astir nan young group of players that O'Neill has assembled.

O'Neill, successful his 2nd spell arsenic manager, had warned defeats were inevitable arsenic they continued to study connected nan world stage. It's each portion of nan process.

"There's a learning curve successful each crippled and erstwhile we look backmost astatine this we tin return nan positives from it," said Paddy McNair, who was nan 2nd oldest personnel of O'Neill's squad astatine nan property of 29.

"In nan 2nd half they didn't really person a chance astatine each and we were connected top. Overall, I don't deliberation location was excessively overmuch incorrect pinch it but we didn't really person that cutting edge."

Bradley echoed those thoughts, and added it was important that Northern Ireland person to "make judge we don't springiness teams a commencement connected us".

"Giving distant goals, for example," Bradley said connected what Northern Ireland would study from nan game.

"Bulgaria were a beardown team, to beryllium fair. They were very beingness and we knew it was going to beryllium difficult.

"I deliberation each distant crippled successful world shot is difficult. We're disappointed we didn't get a point, if not three, but we'll study from it and spell again."

The stifling power successful Plovdiv wasn't nan only rumor for Northern Ireland. The aboveground astatine nan Stadion Hristo Botev was much akin to nan extremity of a rugby lucifer than an world shot pitch.

It was cutting up successful nan early stages of nan crippled arsenic players struggled to complete passes and bring nan shot forward.

It only sewage worse arsenic nan lucifer progressed arsenic clumps of turf gathered connected nan surface.

When asked astir nan transportation aft nan match, defender Paddy McNair went arsenic acold arsenic saying it was "awful".

Manager O'Neill added that it was arsenic mediocre arsenic he had seen "in a agelong time" and felt it wasn't acceptable.

Bradley was somewhat much negotiated successful his response, arsenic nan smirk connected his look told arsenic overmuch astir his feelings arsenic his words.

"I've played connected better, definitely," he said.

"There's nary excuses. The transportation wasn't awesome but some teams had to play connected it."

The situation earlier Sunday's lucifer was for Northern Ireland to effort and build upon nan momentum they person worked truthful difficult to generate.

A constrictive conclusion distant to a beingness squad successful difficult conditions is improbable to sound nan assurance of nan squad excessively far. A bump successful nan road, if you will, alternatively than derailing progress.

But now, arsenic attentions move to nan adjacent window, nan situation for O'Neill's young squad will beryllium to make judge nan conclusion successful Plovdiv was a one-off and their progression continues successful a affirmative trajectory.

Bradley is adamant that will beryllium nan case.

Next up, Northern Ireland look Belarus connected 12 October, which will beryllium played successful Hungary owed to nan ongoing conflict successful Ukraine.

"We cognize it is going to beryllium difficult going distant to Belarus but I person afloat assurance already," added Bradley.

"We person a bully spot of momentum from nan crippled truthful we conscionable person to support that going."

And successful nan 2nd crippled of nan window, Northern Ireland person nan chance to get backmost astatine nan Bulgarians, who recreation to Belfast connected 15 October.

"Hopefully we tin do them back," Bradley said.

"They will beryllium a difficult game, moreover astatine home, but hopefully we tin get immoderate revenge.

"We aren't retired of nan group yet and nan triumph nan different nighttime was bully for us, truthful we're not done yet."