NI relishing pressure of Bosnia & Herzegovina test - Rafferty

Northern Ireland defender Laura Rafferty insists her broadside are relishing nan unit up of their last Euro 2025 qualifier against Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Tanya Oxtoby's broadside will declare 2nd spot successful nan group pinch a triumph astatine Windsor Park, which could perchance spot them unafraid a seeded spot for nan play-off draw.

And Rafferty believes Northern Ireland will usage their acquisition of playing successful erstwhile high-pressure games to their advantage.

"We’ve been successful these positions before, it is not caller to us, and we look guardant to nan occasion," she told BBC Sport NI.

The defender, who precocious signed for Rangers, believes that Northern Ireland will make nan astir of being backmost astatine Windsor Park for nan first clip since April.

She besides hopes they tin return assurance from their 3-1 triumph against Bosnia & Herzegovina successful their erstwhile gathering successful Zenica successful April.

"Bosnia & Herzegovina is going to beryllium different reliable game, but being connected location ungraded will thief arsenic will having our fans present astatine Windsor Park, wherever we want to beryllium playing," Rafferty continued.

"It is specified a speedy turnaround, but we person played Bosnia & Herzegovina earlier and we person that homework done, truthful it’s conscionable astir adding everything up."

She wants Northern Ireland to build connected their promising 2nd half show successful their 2-0 triumph against Malta connected Friday night, wherever they controlled possession and created a well-worked 2nd goal.

"We wanted to travel distant from Malta pinch 3 points and we did that. Sometimes you person to enactment successful a crippled and prime moments to make things hap and we did that too," she explained.

"It's a building process and location are games you person to turn into and thrust nan wave, but we want to beryllium a squad that return power and beryllium capable to move our opponents."

If Rafferty features this evening it will beryllium her 49th headdress for Northern Ireland.

She was included successful Northern Ireland's Euro 2022 squad but was not selected successful different sheet until Oxtoby took complete successful September 2023.

Since then, she has started nan past 10 games for Northern Ireland and has worn nan captain's armband 3 times this qualifying run since Marissa Callaghan announced she was stepping down arsenic skipper.

The 28-year-old admits it was difficult to ideate her hitting a half period of caps and captaining her country, moreover a twelvemonth ago.

"It’s incredible, I’ve been present since I was 15, I retrieve my first telephone up successful Cyprus and to deliberation that was 13 years agone is crazy, truthful getting 50 caps would beryllium specified an honour," she said.

"I’ve gone from a position wherever I’ve not played a batch of games to now beryllium playing and I’m very gladsome I’ve grabbed my opportunity."

Rafferty was besides afloat of praise for Callaghan, who has helped her set to her caller activity role.

"Having nan captain’s armband is specified an honour and I’m learning too, we person personification astonishing successful Marissa who is simply a helping manus constantly."