NI 'in control of own destiny' - but can they take next step?

Nations League Group B1: Northern Ireland v Poland

Venue: Seaview, Belfast Date: Friday, 30 May Kick-off: 19:00 BST

Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected BBC iPlayer and travel unrecorded matter commentary & in-play clips connected nan BBC Sport website

At times, it feels for illustration Northern Ireland are destined to stay successful League B of nan Nations League.

Tanya Oxtoby's broadside person been location for 3 iterations of nan title and Euro qualifying, and while they are excessively bully for League C, nan apical tier has ever been conscionable retired of reach.

Now, they person nan chance to scope nan promised land, but to do truthful they will request to present nan biggest triumph of Oxtoby's reign.

Northern Ireland beryllium 2nd successful Group 1, 3 points down leaders Poland, who recreation to Belfast connected Friday night.

The Poles won nan opening crippled betwixt nan sides, but if Oxtoby's broadside tin propulsion disconnected an upset they would beryllium successful a beardown position heading into nan last information of matches.

If Northern Ireland suffer to Poland connected Friday, and Bosnia-Herzegovina conclusion Romania, past it will travel down to a last crippled shootout betwixt nan sides for nan promotion play-off spot.

As things guidelines successful League A, imaginable play-off opponents could see nan likes of Austria, Denmark, Portugal and Iceland.

Ultimately, nary matter what happens against Poland, NI's League A hopes are successful their ain hands.

"It's what we wanted. We wanted to beryllium successful this position heading into nan last 2 games wherever we tin power our ain destiny," Oxtoby told BBC Sport NI.

"It's a existent in installments to this group of unit and players wherever we are successful a position wherever we could do thing typical and apical nan group. Our destiny is successful our ain hands.

"We conscionable request to return it 1 crippled astatine a clip and attraction connected our performance."

Northern Ireland fell to a 2-0 conclusion successful Poland successful their Nations League opener aft a quickfire double for nan hosts.

That was followed by a melodramatic 3-2 triumph astatine location to Bosnia-Herzegovina, earlier a tie pinch Romania was followed by a 1-0 triumph successful nan reverse fixture.

The opening 45 minutes of nan triumph complete Romania featured immoderate of nan champion shot Northern Ireland person played nether Oxtoby, and a free-flowing move led to teen Kascie Weir netting nan decisive goal.

Oxtoby said nan cardinal to a affirmative consequence against Poland will beryllium "concentration", and it will beryllium a situation against a "really bully team".

"We person travel a agelong measurement since that crippled and we were disappointed astatine elements of it.

"They are reasonably accordant and bully astatine what they do. We cognize they are going to travel present and origin america problems successful definite areas.

"We will dream to origin them problems successful return. It will beryllium a awesome situation for our young group."

After a number of matches astatine Windsor Park and Inver Park, Northern Ireland will return to Seaview for nan first clip since October 2023.

The Belfast venue was a cornerstone of their successful Euro 2022 qualification campaign, but they haven't played location since drafting pinch Hungary successful nan inaugural Nations League.

Oxtoby said they want to make nan venue a "fortress" and nan compact crushed tin thief them origin Poland "some problems".

"We want to make it uncomfortable for Poland, that would beryllium nan ideal.

"We had a speech earlier training astir having a speech astir really bully they tin be, and I deliberation they are now starting to spot that."

To thief her young squad, Oxtoby has brought erstwhile England world Izzy Christiansen into her coaching group up.

"We cognize nan value that Izzy had arsenic a player, and she is simply a superb coach arsenic well," said Oxtoby.

"To person a female who has done truthful overmuch successful nan crippled and is besides superb connected nan grass, it's priceless for this group and nan girls are really lapping it up."

Northern Ireland skipper Simone Magill played alongside Christiansen astatine Everton, and said it was "great" to person her successful moving pinch nan youthful squad.

"I cognize her well. I deliberation she group maine up for a bully fewer of my Everton goals too," said Magill, who now plays for Birmingham City.

"She has been location and done it all, to beryllium capable to inquire her questions and prime her brains is simply a existent luxury for america to have.

"It's 1 that each nan girls person been hopeless to usage arsenic well. That's fantastic."