Sanchez yearns for feel-good factor

Lawrie Sanchez is already intent on enjoying the festive season and making sure everyone connected with Northern Ireland shares the feel-good factor.

A victory against Latvia tonight at Windsor Park in a Euro 2008 qualifier would give the province a healthy seven points from four matches.

While qualification for the finals would remain an outside bet, at least the team would go forward with confidence when they regroup next March against Liechtenstein.

Northern Ireland boss Sanchez said: “While it is what you do over 12 games that counts, we would be in a great position going into the Christmas break if we beat Latvia.

“We started poorly and have recovered quite well.

“The game against Latvia will determine how much of a chance we have got of qualifying.

“We are under a lot of pressure, me personally and the team, to perform every time we come home.

“The fans are the people we play for and they are the ones we have to satisfy.

“You cannot rest on your laurels – we need to feed their expectation. That is not a worry for me or my team.

“But we do know we have to be more consistent against the teams of our stature if we are to continue our progress.”

Sheffield United winger Keith Gillespie, the most experienced player in the ranks, is enjoying a new lease of life.

Sanchez said: “Keith is an adaptable player, who wants to play for Northern Ireland.

“He has got a lot of caps, he has played out of contract, in contract and he always turns up.

“If he is asked to do a job on the left-hand side, he does it professionally and correctly.”

Northern Ireland go into the match sitting in third place, with the point gained against Denmark in Copenhagen coming on the back of a superb victory against Spain and a home defeat by Iceland.

Sanchez, however, is wary of the threat Latvia pose even though the Baltic nation are ranked a lowly 94th in the world by FIFA.

A 4-0 victory against Iceland earlier in the campaign shows they have to be respected.

Sanchez said: “Teams from 50th place down into the 100s can beat each other, it is that even.

“Latvia have had a bad time since qualifying for the finals of Euro 2004 and slipped down the rankings.

“But they have shown they can bridge gaps by beating Iceland.”