NI denied dramatic draw by VAR as Denmark win

Wind broke the deadlock in the 47th minute

Injury-hit Northern Ireland were denied a dramatic, last-gasp draw away to Denmark as an injury-time goal by West Ham teenage debutant Callum Marshall was ruled out by VAR.

The decision meant Jonas Wind's goal at the start of the second half gave the Danes a 1-0 win that takes them to the top of Group H.

The visitors had produced a stubborn defensive display in the first half before Wind broke the deadlock two minutes after the break.

Northern Ireland now host Kazakhstan at Windsor Park on Monday night.

They will go into that match still in fifth place in the group, having opened with a win away to San Marino before suffering a disappointing 1-0 home defeat by Finland.

The Finns, meanwhile, beat previous group leaders Slovenia 2-0 on Friday night while Kazakhstan, who had recorded a surprise 3-2 victory over the Danes on their last outing, moved up to second by beating San Marino 3-0.

Wind's goal at a raucous Parken Stadium came when an in-swinging left-wing cross from Andreas Christensen was not cleared properly by Ciaron Brown, who seemed to get his footing wrong as he failed to get a proper connection on the ball.

His poor clearance bounced to Wind and the Vfl Wolfsburg forward controlled well on his chest before firing firmly under Bailey Peacock-Farrell and in from an angle to calm the nerves of the vocal home support.

That goal provided a massive lift to the home players and supporters after a first half in which they had been frustrated by a well-drilled defensive display by Northern Ireland, who will probably now need to beat Kazakhstan in Belfast on Monday night if they are to maintain any real hopes of reaching the Euro 2024 finals.

Eighteen-year-old Marshall, on as a late second-half sub on what was his first senior NI call-up, thought he had grabbed a heroic draw for his team when he scored a beautiful flicked volley with the outside of his boot from a Jonny Evans flick-on.

However, as Marshall and his team-mates celebrated wildly in front of the delirious travelling supporters behind the goal where he scored, the stadium screens showed that the goal was being checked for Evans being offside from the free-kick into the box.

A wait that lasted at least three minutes ensued, before the NI players and fans were crushed when Polish referee Daniel Stefanski signalled that it had been ruled out by VAR.

More to follow.