McIlroy determined to find scoring solution

Sammy McIlroy insists he is determined to get it right after his Northern Ireland team created a slice of history – for all the wrong reasons.

By failing to get a goal against Armenia last night at Windsor Park they chalked up a European record for an international side by going 12 successive matches without scoring.

Yet it could all have been so different as Northern Ireland were given every chance to win this Euro 2004 qualifier.

Instead they are destined for the wooden spoon in Group Six after Armenia clinched the three points through a goal from substitute Arman Karamyan.

McIlroy tried to remain upbeat after this defeat, which means his side have gone 13 games without a win.

“My resolve is as strong as ever,” he said. “There is no danger of that.”

“The boys have given me everything but have got to unearth a scorer from somewhere. At the moment we are working with what we have got and obviously there are permutations.

“When we do score it will probably be a fluke. Maybe a goal will come off a defender’s backside. I would take anything. I thought we dominated the game after they scored. I can’t believe we haven’t taken one of our chances at least.

“At this level you have got to score when those arrive. But what we have seen against Armenia is that we are snatching.

“The longer this scoring run goes on it will keep getting to the players. Things are just not going our way but we have just got to keep going.”

Substitute Steve Jones could have had a hat-trick while Andy Smith was also wasteful, although he put in an industrious shift.

However they found themselves up against a formidable barrier in Dynamo Moscow goalkeeper Roman Berezovski.

The turning point in the game came when Leicester winger Keith Gillespie walked off the pitch because of an ankle injury, without McIlroy knowing.

In the interim Armenia surged forward to make the breakthrough.

Speaking about Gillespie, McIlroy said: “I didn’t even know Keith was off the pitch as I was involved in the game and they then get a goal down that side.

“He suffered an ankle injury after a challenge with the Armenia goalkeeper. The first I knew he had come off was when he was five yards away from the dug out. He said he couldn’t go on.”

Northern Ireland now wrap up their qualifying campaign next month when they face Greece in Athens.

Birmingham midfielder Damien Johnson will be absent as he collected a second yellow card last night.

Armenia coach Mihai Stoichita said it had been tough for both countries to be paired with Spain, Greece and Ukraine.

“Perhaps the next time the draw will be kinder to both of us,” he said. “I have some sympathy for Sammy McIlroy because I know how difficult this job can be and how difficult it is to pick up points.”