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 substance commentary & in-play clips connected the BBC Sport website

At times, it feels similar Northern Ireland are destined to stay successful League B of the Nations League.

Tanya Oxtoby's broadside person been determination for 3 iterations of the contention and Euro qualifying, and portion they are excessively bully for League C, the apical tier has ever been conscionable retired of reach.

Now, they person the accidental to scope the promised land, but to bash truthful they volition request to present the biggest triumph of Oxtoby's reign.

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

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

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

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

Ultimately, nary substance 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 presumption heading into the last 2 games wherever we tin power our ain destiny," Oxtoby told BBC Sport NI.

"It's a existent recognition to this radical of unit and players wherever we are successful a presumption wherever we could bash thing peculiar and apical the group. Our destiny is successful our ain hands.

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

Northern Ireland fell to a 2-0 decision successful Poland successful their Nations League opener aft a quickfire treble for the hosts.

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

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

Oxtoby said the cardinal to a affirmative effect against Poland volition beryllium "concentration", and it volition beryllium a situation against a "really bully team".

"We person travel a agelong mode since that crippled and we were disappointed of 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 volition anticipation to origin them problems successful return. It volition beryllium a large situation for our young group."

After a fig of matches astatine Windsor Park and Inver Park, Northern Ireland volition instrumentality to Seaview for the archetypal clip since October 2023.

The Belfast venue was a cornerstone of their palmy Euro 2022 qualification campaign, but they haven't played determination since drafting with Hungary successful the inaugural Nations League.

Oxtoby said they privation to marque the venue a "fortress" and the compact crushed tin assistance them origin Poland "some problems".

"We privation to marque it uncomfortable for Poland, that would beryllium the ideal.

"We had a speech earlier grooming astir having a speech astir however bully they tin be, and I deliberation they are present starting to spot that."

To assistance her young squad, Oxtoby has brought erstwhile England planetary Izzy Christiansen into her coaching acceptable up.

"We cognize the prime that Izzy had arsenic a player, and she is simply a superb manager arsenic well," said Oxtoby.

"To person a pistillate who has done truthful overmuch successful the crippled and is besides superb connected the grass, it's priceless for this radical and the girls are truly lapping it up."

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

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

"She has been determination 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 the girls person been hopeless to usage arsenic well. That's fantastic."