Northern Ireland, under the guidance of Tanya Oxtoby, suffered a 5-0 aggregate defeat against Iceland over two legs.
Despite the loss in the Nations League play-off, manager Tanya Oxtoby expressed that there are “areas we can really improve,” while also stating she is “proud” of her team’s performance.
Iceland successfully defended their League A status with a comprehensive 5-0 aggregate victory. As a result, Northern Ireland will remain in League B as they look ahead to the 2027 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The second leg of the contest faced a delay due to severe snowfall in Reykjavik, leading to the postponement of Tuesday’s scheduled match.
In Wednesday’s rescheduled fixture, Sveindis Jonsdottir, Hlin Eiriksdottir, and Emilia Asgeirsdottir each found the net, securing a 3-0 victory for the home side.
“I stated at the beginning of the tie that we would ultimately end up where we deserve to be,” Oxtoby commented.
“I felt that there were aspects of tonight’s performance that were genuinely commendable.
“However, there are also areas that we can significantly improve upon. We acknowledged that certain vulnerabilities would be exposed, and that we would gain valuable lessons from those experiences.”
Iceland end NI’s promotion hopes in delayed play-off
Iceland postponement ‘a challenging day’ – Oxtoby
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Watch: Iceland victorious over Northern Ireland
Oxtoby described the postponement of the second leg as “challenging” but expressed immense pride in the adaptability demonstrated by her players and staff.
The former Chelsea assistant manager, who previously raised concerns about “professional courtesy” in Croatia last year, emphasized that there is “a long way to go” in the women’s game “in terms of professionalism and the way things are done.”
“For the team to come out and perform the way they did, the country should be incredibly proud of the players for overcoming the challenges they’ve faced over the past few days,” she added.
Northern Ireland’s inability to reach the top tier for the first time means they will remain in League B for World Cup qualifying, and Oxtoby acknowledged that “we have work to do.”
However, the Australian coach noted that the progress made by her young squad since she took over as manager in September 2023 is like “night and day.”
“I believe their commitment to fulfilling our expectations is truly exceptional. There are specific areas, particularly in possession, where we need to improve,” she stated.
“I think that will come with time, and the players are aware of the areas where we need to be better. We can’t simply snap our fingers and change that, so we need to remain united.
“The morale within this group is higher than ever before, and the level of desire is unprecedented.”