Northern Ireland win to surpass Billy Bingham’s boys
Michael O’Neill’s class of 2016 eclipsed the nine-match streak Billy Bingham’s team managed when they reached the 1986 World Cup and it was Kent-born Washington, who had only been to the country once before, that was the match-winner with a first-half goal.
Goalkeeper Roy Carroll, 38, then saved a second-half penalty from Milivoje Novakovic as the Northern Irish bandwagon carried on rolling ahead of their participation in Euro 2016 this summer.
As suspected, O’Neill, who wants to be tactically fluid, deployed the 3-5-2 formation he had started with against Wales, with Ferguson and Smith flanked out on the left and right-hand sides.
The former was needed in a defensive capacity early on as Nejc Skubic pushed on and delivered a cross that Gareth McAuley cut out, but the West Brom man only knocked the ball back to the visiting full-back, who curled an attempt well wide.
Skubic was involved again when he threaded a ball inside McAuley that Roman Bezjak collected and fired first time into the side netting from an angle that was quickly narrowing.
After a minute’s applause for Johan Cruyff, Ward produced a fine piece of skill the Dutchman would have been proud of by flicking over Forest team-mate Jokic before rifling in a cross that Washington could not reach.
Bezjak then fired off target once more at the other end, though he was behind Craig Cathcart when collecting the ball and the flag was duly raised.
The home side looked comfortable defensively in their system but, as was the case against the Welsh, they were creating little going forward.
Washington had been sacrificed at half-time in last Thursday’s 1-1 draw on his maiden appearance for a country he qualifies for under the grandparent rule and, just before the half hour mark here, the QPR forward provided the first indication of why O’Neill was so keen to bring him in.
Oliver Norwood poked a pass through to him and Washington breezed past a wrong-footed Miral Samardzic to create the space for a shot which Jan Oblak repelled with his legs.
The keeper at the opposite end of the pitch, 15 years Oblak’s senior, found himself bundled over his line illegally by Samardzic after collecting a Birsa corner under his crossbar.
Four minutes before half-time, Washington scored his first Northern Ireland goal on just his second visit to the country.
Collecting a ball over the top, he barged Skubic off the ball, moved inside Slovenia’s captain Bostjan Cesar and fired beyond a static Oblak to give O’Neill’s men the lead.
Three changes were made in total at half-time, Aaron Hughes coming on for his 98th Northern Ireland cap in their solitary substitution, but there was no change to O’Neill’s formation.
What had been a placid friendly had its first flashpoint six minutes into the second period when Ward’s challenge on Oblak sparked some pushing and shoving off the pitch.
Ward had already been booked late in the first half and, while he was involved in the confrontation, it was Washington who earned a booking for his role in the melee.
Smith almost linked up with Washington again before O’Neill replaced Ward as part of a double change that saw Lafferty come on to form the strike partnership that had started against Wales.
However, Slovenia had an excellent opportunity to level from the penalty spot after Jonny Evans was pulled up for a foul when he had his arm around Samardzic’s neck as a corner came in.
Substitute Milivoje Novakovic took the spot-kick but 38-year-old Carroll, springing away to his right, kept it out.
Four minutes later Washington came off to a rapturous reception as O’Neill assessed his options from the bench by making six substitutions before the end.
Two of those replacements nearly combined for a second, Josh Magennis almost turning in Lafferty’s cross from the right after Oblak had failed to snuff out the danger at the near post.
Slovenia pushed for an equaliser as Blaz Vrhovec smashed one attempt over the crossbar before Carroll was called into action again in the closing stages.
Valter Birsa’s effort would have crept into the corner had the ex-Manchester United man not pushed it behind for a corner to preserve both his clean sheet and Northern Ireland’s remarkable run.
At the final whistle the PA announcer informed the crowd that they had set a new record of 10 games unbeaten, with friendlies against Belarus and Slovakia to come before Poland, Ukraine and Germany await in France.
Carroll, McNair (McGinn 78), McAuley (Hughes 46), Jonny Evans, Cathcart, Smith (McLaughlin 71), Ferguson (Dallas 60), Davis, Norwood, Ward (Kyle Lafferty 60), Washington (Magennis 70).
McGovern, Danny Lafferty, McCullough, McKay, Hodson, Paton.
Oblak, Skubic (Stojanovic 60), Samardzic, Cesar (Aljaz Struna 80), Jokic, Kurtic (Vrhovec 46), Krhin, Verbic (Kirm 62), Ilicic (Novakovic 46), Bezjak (Crnic 75), Birsa.
Belec, Andraz Struna, Vidmar.
Kristo Tohver (Estonia).
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