O'Neill fumes over calls as Northern Ireland snatch late win in Tbilisi
Northern Ireland's 1‑0 victory in Tbilisi secured their first ever away win in the Nations League, a milestone that underlines Michael O'Neill's side’s resilience despite his bafflement at several refereeing decisions on Friday. Shea Charles struck in the 99th minute after Pierce Charles saved a controversial penalty, while a video intended to show highlights remained unplayable without JavaScript.
O'Neill condemns officiating after contentious moments
Michael O'Neill said he was "baffled" by the quality of the refereeing, singling out official Orel Grinfeeld’s decision not to award a free‑kick after Ceadach O'Neill was brought down late on. He also criticised the VAR review that led to Daniel Ballard being adjudged to have fouled Luka Lochoshvili in the 65th minute, and the appeal that was waved away when Shea appeared to be caught in the area in the 88th minute.
"In the second half we had to show a lot of resilience," O'Neill told NI. "Not only against the opposition, who were very good when they got Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the game a lot more, but some of the decisions that went against us. I was really disappointed in that side of things with how the game was refereed."
Late drama delivers historic away win
Shea Charles delivered a 99th‑minute winner, sealing Northern Ireland’s first‑ever away triumph in the Nations League. Earlier, Pierce Charles had denied a penalty from Georgia captain Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, preserving the clean sheet.
The match’s turning point arrived in the 65th minute when Ballard was judged to have fouled Lochoshvili, prompting a VAR check and a penalty that Pierce saved. An appeal for a potential Georgian penalty was dismissed, keeping the score level until the final minutes.
Ballard later suffered a hamstring injury while chasing a loose ball in the ensuing counter‑attack. O'Neill confirmed the Sunderland defender will miss the next three internationals against Hungary, Ukraine and Georgia.
Despite the setbacks, O'Neill praised his squad as "magnificent" and said they "showed every side of our character tonight". The post‑match video remains inaccessible without enabling JavaScript, underscoring the technical hiccup that accompanied the on‑field controversy.