'NI don't feel added pressure to secure play-off place'

Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby insists that her side do not feel added pressure to beat Malta in their Euro 2025 qualifier to secure a play-off.

A win at the Centenary Stadium will guarantee Northern Ireland's place in the first round of the play-offs in October for next year's tournament in Switzerland.

But Oxtoby is more focused on ensuring her side deliver a good performance, after NI were frustrated in a 0-0 draw with Malta in their opening qualifier in April.

"For us it’s about focusing on our controllables and on what we’re trying to do and if we do that, more often than not the result takes care of itself," she told BBC Sport NI.

"Last time [against Malta] we felt we probably did enough to win the game and we didn’t get the result, so we’re focusing on our performance and what we’ve been working on the last few days."

Oxtoby has stuck with continuity and selected the same 25-strong squad from the two defeats against Portugal in the last international window.

Those results left Northern Ireland third in the group, but the boss was keen to reward the players for two positive performances despite the losses against the group leaders.

"We pick the squad based on the opposition we’re playing and the form of players and I thought the group in the last window were excellent," she said.

"From our point of view, we wanted to continue to work with the players as a reward and we’re pretty happy and pleased with where we are."

Oxtoby trusts that she can count on the whole squad to make an impact against Malta, with the contributions of substitutes set to be vital in the searing temperatures.

"Every single player in this squad is important and adds value to what we’re doing so everyone is ready.

"The weather is going to play a big part, but all our players are ready to come and impact the game if called upon."

In the manager's eyes, the narrow 2-1 defeat to Portugal at Mourneview Park is as close as Northern Ireland have come to the type of performance she wants her side to deliver on a consistent basis.

And Oxtoby is hopeful that it will inspire them to produce a similar display in a game that they are favourites.

"As a group I think it clicked not just without the ball but with it and a lot of things came to fruition," she explained.

"We want to continue that momentum and start again on the front foot, and we know what we have to do in terms of results in this window."

Oxtoby added: "This group is now starting to believe they can win every game, so we’ve spoken making sure that we continue moving in the right direction."

The NI boss also pointed to the Bosnia & Herzegovina game in Zenica as a blueprint for her side to follow if things aren't going their way early on in Malta.

Northern Ireland won 3-1 with all the goals coming in the second half after a frustrating first period.

"The Bosnia performance is a good guide of not getting frustrated and not moving away from what you’re trying to execute.

"We proved in that game when we got the breakthrough even though they came back into it we were able to accelerate away, and we back ourselves in those positions."