Match ends, Northern Ireland 2, Cyprus 2.
A 93rd-minute equaliser by Jonny Evans salvaged a 2-2 draw for Northern Ireland with Cyprus but the result stretched the home side's winless run in the Nations League to 14 matches.
A section of the home crowd had chanted 'we want Bara [NI boss Ian Baraclough] out' soon after Andronikos Kakoulli scored his second goal in the 51st minute to put the visitors 2-0 up.
Paddy McNair bundled home for the hosts in the 71st minute, sparking a late attacking flurry in which they missed chances before Evans' strike.
Dimitris Christofi found the net in dramatic fashion a minute after Evans' leveller but he was flagged offside and the goal did not stand.
While the equaliser rescued Northern Ireland from an embarrassing home defeat, there were boos from the home crowd at half-time and some muted jeers at the end of a game that leaves the hosts third in Group C2 and level on two points with bottom side Cyprus after an opening quadruple-header of matches from which Baraclough had set a target of four wins.
It was another hugely disappointing result for Northern Ireland, who have now won just three times in 20 competitive matches under Baraclough, who stepped up to the senior side from the Under 21s two years ago.
Travelling supporters chanted "cheerio" to Baraclough at the end of Thursday night's 3-2 defeat in Kosovo, with that reverse coming after a drab 1-0 home loss to Greece at Windsor Park and a flat scoreless draw in Cyprus last Sunday.
The NI manager had said coming into the home meeting with the Cypriots that he had broad enough shoulders to handle any criticism, and once again had asked for patience with what he says is a building process with a young squad.
Having been relegated from the second tier, Northern Ireland now face a battle to avoid dropping into the fourth when they host Kosovo and travel to Greece in their final two games in September.
Late surge saves NI from embarrassing home loss
The visitors' first goal arrived in the 32nd minute when terrible marking by the home defence allowed Kakoulli to rise unmarked in the box to flick on a Chambos Kyriakou free-kick beyond the outstretched Trevor Carson, who was selected in goal instead of regular keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
Their second came on 51 minutes. There was hesitancy from Brodie Spencer as Dimitris Christofi ran at the home defence, leading to Marinos Tzionis scuffing a shot across goal that beat Carson and allowed Kakoulli to tap into an empty net for his second of the game. There was a VAR check for offside but it only prolonged the home supporters' agony.
It was looking ominous for Baraclough and his players as the game entered the final 20 minutes, but they got a lifeline from some dreadful Cypriot defending on the byeline, which was capitalised on by Dion Charles.
He set up fellow substitute Niall McGinn whose shot is superbly saved by Andreas Christodoulou, but the visitors failed to clear the rebound and McNair was on hand to finish from close range.
Showing a lot more fight and energy than they had in the previous 50 minutes, after starting the game well, Northern Ireland pressed continually for an equaliser in the closing stages and came close a few times before levelling.
Charles had a header blocked at the back post before the experienced McGinn almost scored with a lovely little chip, his left-foot effort hitting the top of the crossbar after having beaten the goalkeeper.
Liverpool teenager Conor Bradley, another of Baraclough's second-half substitutes, scooped over the crossbar from close range and Gavin Whyte headed off target.
Evans' equaliser came when the Leicester City centre-half's shot from a right-wing cross hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced over the line.
The afternoon had started well in the Belfast sunshine for Northern, with Conor McMenamin, making his second start for his country, having a shot well saved. The half ended with boos from home crowd, though, before the main drama unfolded late in the second half.
Line-ups
Northern Ireland
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 1Carson
- 21SpencerSubstituted forBradleyat 69'minutes
- 4Ballard
- 5Evans
- 22Brown
- 8DavisBooked at 68mins
- 9LaverySubstituted forWhyteat 59'minutes
- 17McNair
- 20CharlesSubstituted forThompsonat 59'minutes
- 13McMenaminSubstituted forMcGinnat 69'minutes
- 10LaffertySubstituted forCharlesat 69'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Bradley
- 3Lane
- 6McCann
- 7McGinn
- 11Charles
- 12Southwood
- 14McCalmont
- 15Thompson
- 16McCann
- 18Whyte
- 19Donnelly
- 23Clarke
Cyprus
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 12Christodoulou
- 18Artymatas
- 6Gogic
- 19LaifisBooked at 68minsSubstituted forIoannouat 69'minutes
- 23PittasSubstituted forPanagiotouat 45'minutes
- 8Kyriakou
- 20Kastanos
- 13Panagiotou
- 9Christofi
- 21TzionisSubstituted forPapoulisat 58'minutes
- 14KakoullisSubstituted forKatelarisat 78'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Toumpas
- 2Panagiotou
- 3Antoniades
- 4Ioannou
- 5Katelaris
- 7Satsias
- 10Spoljaric
- 11Avraam
- 15Papoulis
- 16Correa
- 17Loizou
- 22Michael
- Referee:
- Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea
- Attendance:
- 16,454
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home60%
- Away40%
- Shots
- Home19
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away2
- Corners
- Home4
- Away0
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away5
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Northern Ireland 2, Cyprus 2.
Post update
Foul by Jordan Thompson (Northern Ireland).
Post update
Fotios Papoulis (Cyprus) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Niall McGinn (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jordan Thompson.
Post update
Offside, Cyprus. Fotios Papoulis tries a through ball, but Dimitrios Christofi is caught offside.
Goal!
Goal! Northern Ireland 2, Cyprus 2. Jonny Evans (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from very close range to the top left corner. Assisted by Dion Charles with a headed pass.
Post update
Attempt missed. Gavin Whyte (Northern Ireland) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Patrick McNair with a cross.
Post update
Attempt missed. Danny Ballard (Northern Ireland) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jordan Thompson with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Charalambos Kyriakou.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jordan Thompson (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Dion Charles.
Post update
Attempt missed. Conor Bradley (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Jordan Thompson with a through ball.
Substitution
Substitution, Cyprus. Fanos Katelaris replaces Andronikos Kakoullis.
Post update
Niall McGinn (Northern Ireland) hits the bar with a left footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Ciaron Brown.
Post update
Attempt saved. Dion Charles (Northern Ireland) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt missed. Niall McGinn (Northern Ireland) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Conor Bradley.
Goal!
Goal! Northern Ireland 1, Cyprus 2. Patrick McNair (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Attempt saved. Niall McGinn (Northern Ireland) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Dion Charles.
Post update
Offside, Cyprus. Charalambos Kyriakou tries a through ball, but Dimitrios Christofi is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Northern Ireland. Conor Bradley replaces Brodie Spencer.
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That was woeful.