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.

Already without a number of injured senior players, NI boss Michael O’Neill had to cope with a late pull-out through injury from centre-half Craig Cathcart, and it was a somewhat bold selection by the Northern Ireland boss as he handed first international starts to Isaac Price and Trai Hume.

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 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 almost five minutes ensued, before the NI players and fans were crushed when Polish referee Daniel Stefanski signalled that it had been ruled out by VAR.

Denmark seized advantage of the game after scoring and came close to adding to their lead through Rasmus Hojlund, who had a shot saved by Peacock-Farrell, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fired just wide from distance.

Northern Ireland regrouped soon after falling behind and almost equalised when Price went through and had an angled drive well saved by Kasper Schmeichel.

Teenager Price, who moved to Belgium’s Standard Liege from Everton just last week, started at the tip of a midfield diamond that was anchored by Man City’s Shea Charles, 19, with both youngsters playing their part in a first-half performance that frustrated their hosts.

Hume, who has played at ring wing-back or centre-half for Sunderland in the Championship, was at left wing-back in what looked like a 4-5-1 formation for a side that included a number of players without much experience on the international stage.

The first chance of the match fell to the hosts in the fifth minute when the dangerous Andreas Skov Olsen delivered a warning of his threat when he skipped past Trai Hume – making his first Northern Ireland start on the right wing.

He delivered a cross to the back post that was met by Hojbjerg, but the ball was just behind the incoming Spurs midfielder and his volley sailed wide.

It was a sign of things to come from Olsen, who hugged the right touchline for Denmark and continually looking to make threatening runs in behind off the ball. Hume, though, helped out by Ciaron Brown on the left of Northern Ireland’s back three, monitored him well.

Olsen did escape him in first-half injury time but his control was poor and the ball ran away from him, when a better first touch would have put him through on goal.

Northern Ireland actually had the second opportunity of the game – and their only effort of the first half – when Price gave lone striker Shayne Lavery a lovely lay-off, with the Blackpool striker’s deflected shot from the edge of the box forcing a save from Kasper Schmeicel.

Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen was just off target with a curling free kick on 24 minutes but as the half went on the home crowd became more and more frustrated as the visitors got to the break at 0-0.

Sourced From BBC