NI 'starting to know how it feels to win' - O'Neill

Three points, 2 goals and 1 cleanable sheet.

Northern Ireland's Nations League run sewage disconnected to nan cleanable commencement against Luxembourg astatine Windsor Park.

The Nations League is simply a title that has not been benignant to Northern Ireland successful nan past. In fact, Thursday's triumph was only their 2nd successful 17 matches.

But Michael O'Neill's young squad are continuing to turn and develop, pinch nan comfortable triumph a 4th triumph successful six matches.

After Callum Marshall and Dion Charles spurned chances from group pieces, Luxembourg grounded to woody pinch a agelong propulsion and that allowed Paddy McNair to flick home.

Better was to travel 5 minutes later erstwhile Daniel Ballard diverted location George Saville's debased free-kick.

For nan the 2nd goal, it was a lawsuit of believe makes perfect.

"We had bully power of nan crippled and capitalised connected group pieces," O'Neill said.

"We spent a bully hr this greeting successful nan study room and connected nan transportation pinch nan players [working connected group pieces]. You don't ever get that time.

"It's thing we request to amended connected and we did show that tonight."

Northern Ireland had chances to widen their lead successful Belfast, but O'Neill admitted nan tempo dropped arsenic legs began to tire. It comes pinch nan quality of youth.

Much has been made of O'Neill's Northern Ireland 2.0, which has saw a reliable and knowledgeable group of players gradually replaced by an breathtaking bunch of youngsters, who are earthy but highlighting their imaginable connected nan world stage.

Liverpool defender Conor Bradley, 21, has often been nan focal constituent of nan excitement successful nan instrumentality base, but Trai Hume, who captained NI connected Thursday astatine nan property of 22, Shea Charles and Isaac Price, some 20, are besides into double figures for caps and show that nan early is bright.

"A batch of world careers ended successful nan past 12 months," he added.

"You are ne'er going to person a fresh made squad to put successful place, it has to spell done immoderate pain."

The symptom O'Neill is referencing came erstwhile he stepped backmost into nan domiciled pursuing nan departure of Ian Baraclough.

With respective first-team players retired injured, O'Neill had to accelerated way younker into his squad and location were nan inevitable increasing pains arsenic his squad recovered their feet and NI missed retired connected Euro 2024 qualification.

However, nan run ended pinch affirmative shoots pinch a triumph complete Denmark and victories complete Scotland, Andorra and now Luxembourg person followed.

There has besides been a tie pinch Romania and a conclusion by Euro 2024 winners Spain successful that time.

"Within those six games we person played teams who we would expect to hit and besides played teams we person sewage bully results against arsenic well," said O'Neill, who added nan "mood has ever been good" successful nan camps since his return.

"We person [momentum]. Confidence is increasing and a batch of these lads came into world shot and didn't triumph a batch of games astatine nan outset.

"Now they are starting to cognize really it feels to win. You tin spot successful nan dressing room what it intends to them.

"A batch of them are going to person agelong world careers. There are ever periods pinch Northern Ireland wherever you don't win, and play done immoderate difficult times. The champion players person ever had to do that.

"There is simply a batch of maturation to travel successful nan team, there's nary uncertainty astir that.

"We person to support letting them create people themselves and not put excessively overmuch unit connected them. Hopefully they will return that into games and springiness bully performances."

Now, nan situation for Northern Ireland is to proceed their momentum distant to Bulgaria connected Sunday.

The Bulgarians were held to a goalless tie by Belarus successful their opening match, which intends if Northern Ireland tin get 3 points successful Plovdiv it puts them successful a beardown position successful Group C3.

Winning nan group would unfastened nan doorway to a imaginable play-off spot for nan 2026 World Cup and O'Neill says his broadside are fresh to "fully embrace" nan campaign.

"It's important. The different crippled was a tie truthful if we spell to Bulgaria and get a consequence past we will beryllium successful a bully position.

"There's a batch to play for. It's a title that we person had difficult results in.

"The timing of nan title has been difficult for america and travel astatine transitional periods for our squad.

"We afloat understand that if we do good successful it past it has peculiar advantages down nan statement for us, successful position of opening up imaginable qualification routes.

"We're taking it arsenic earnestly arsenic immoderate of nan different competitions."