Northern Ireland Women’s National Team Manager Tanya Oxtoby Reflects on Defeat to Poland
Tanya Oxtoby, the head coach of the Northern Ireland women’s football team, acknowledged that her squad "created challenges for ourselves" following a disappointing 4-0 loss to Poland in the Nations League on Friday.
Poland’s Ewa Pajor, a striker from Barcelona, was pivotal in the match, netting two goals within the first ten minutes and contributing assists for both Paulina Tomasiak and Adriana Achcinska. This performance enabled Poland to re-enter League A immediately.
Looking ahead, Northern Ireland is set to clash with Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday, with the upcoming match crucial for securing a promotion playoff berth. Oxtoby commented on her team’s rocky start, stating, "The execution of our plan was not as we intended. We identified opportunities to capitalize on, but our ball control was careless."
She emphasized that multiple factors contributed to the defeat, yet remained optimistic that her players have the potential to elevate their performance. "Despite this setback, our chances of ascending to League A for the first time still lie within our control," she remarked.
Currently, Northern Ireland holds a three-point lead over Bosnia-Herzegovina for the second playoff position. With head-to-head records dictating tie-breakers, a defeat in Zenica wouldn’t automatically end their playoff hopes, given their thrilling 3-2 victory in Larne back in February.
"We were understandably disheartened by our first half," Oxtoby added. However, after some tactical adjustments at halftime, the performance improved. The inclusion of players Abi Sweetlove and Aimee Kerr for their senior debuts was a bright spot.
"Now, our focus must shift to the Bosnia game. It’s critical for us, and I have complete faith that we will deliver a strong performance on Tuesday."