April’s football watching began over Easter to see Linfield draw at home to Crusaders and Glentoran.
That was then followed by a train trip to see Linfield get a vital win away to Coleraine.
I was unable to get to Linfield’s trip to Larne the following weekend. I was hoping that results would have transpired for Linfield to have secured European football with a game to go, but that was not the case.
So, I headed to Solitude, having hoped it would be a dead rubber game I could miss, to see Linfield get the three points to secure European football.
Thankfully, that meant no European Play-Offs. Such a shame.
That wasn’t my football watching for the season, as I headed to Old Trafford to see United take on Wolves.
There would then be a four week wait until my last match of the season, Northern Ireland’s European Championship Qualifier against Kazakhstan.
December’s football watching began with a trip to Windsor Park to see Linfield take on Carrick Rangers.
It would be two weeks before my next match, again at Windsor Park, to see Linfield take on Dungannon Swifts.
That was then followed by two Christmas Traditions – Steel and Sons Cup Final (I was there as it was on Christmas Eve instead) and Boxing Day (which was actually on Boxing Day this year)
That was my football watching for 2022 over, and just two days into 2023, it would all begin again.
November’s football watching began with a trip to Portadown to see Linfield eventually get a 3-0 win at Shamrock Park.
That was followed by two home matches for Linfield over the next seven days, against Cliftonville and Glenavon.
While the World Cup was about to start, it was Ballymena rather than Qatar for me, a Friday night trip to see Linfield pick up three points.
Of course, that meant missing some matches while Linfield were playing. Curiously, it was France’s opening two group matches. There was only one Les Blues for me, home matches against Larne and Crusaders.
If defeat to Finland in March meant that Northern Ireland had no margin for error in their bid to reach Germany 2024, further defeats to Denmark and Kazakhstan mean they can’t even afford to concede a throw in their remaining six matches.
All three defeats by the same scoreline, 0-1. There’s a bit of a theme. They can’t seem to put the ball into the net, and even when they do, VAR intervenes.
This match got off to a slow start, with no real attacking chances in the early stages.
The first chance came when Dion Charles managed to create space for himself on the edge of the box but fired over with his right foot. It was a chance that he would have been better off hitting it first time with his left foot and try to catch the keeper out.
Instantly, Kazakhstan had their first chance of the match when Maksim Samorodov was able to hold off two Northern Ireland defenders, create a shooting opportunity for himself, but he scuffed the ball wide from twelve yards out when he really should have scored.
Issac Price was next to be frustrated for Northern Ireland when his shot went just wide, via a deflection.
Sat behind the goal in the Railway Stand, fans were putting their hand up to appeal for a corner as the ball looped up in the air, then dared to believe they were about to celebrate a goal as the ball looped down.
Those hopes were premature as the ball looped just wide of the post.
There was even more frustration for Northern Ireland as the resulting corner saw them spurn the best opportunity of the match.
Paddy McNair headed the ball across goal and Craig Cathcart headed over unmarked from a few yards out. He had to score. All he had to do was keep it low.
You got the feeling that if Northern Ireland could get a 1-0 lead, they could go on and win this game quite comfortably. The problem was getting that goal.
It’s been a long-term issue.
We got treated to another short range header over as the half neared it’s end, this time from George Saville on the stretch and under pressure.
Not as bad a miss as Cathcart, but equally as frustrating.
I will admit, throughout the first-half, I was checking the clock when there was a break in play. It feels like I am jinxed never to see a Northern Ireland goal in front of the Railway Stand, since I moved seats in March 2022.
For the next match, I might as well just turn up at half-time.
There was still time in the first-half for one last chance, but it was for Kazakhstan, with just a second of the half remaining, a left foot shot in the penalty area which just curled wide.
It wasn’t a bad first-half performance, but it was the same old story. They have to take their chances. It would help if they weren’t so hesitant. Sometimes you just have to strike when you get the slightest sight of goal.
Northern Ireland didn’t really kick on from this in the second-half. It was a bit boring, no chance of note for either team as the hour mark approached.
Eventually, Northern Ireland went for an attacking change, with Jonny Evans coming off for Conor McMenamin.
That didn’t really work, so more subs were brought on in the shape of Shayne Lavery and Dale Taylor.
Callum Marshall surely would have been a better option off the bench than Dale Taylor.
Even though his goal against Denmark was disallowed, he still would have been buzzing after his brief cameo. Add in the fact he would have been playing in front of a packed Windsor Park would have spurred him on even more.
Even though they had created some great opportunities in the first-half, Northern Ireland hadn’t capitalised on it and were now flat and in need of some inspiration.
Callum Marshall coming on from the bench, desperate to avenge his goal against Denmark, could have been that spark of inspiration.
Or Paul Smyth. Seriously, what does he have to do to get a place in the squad?
As the final ten minutes approached, Conor McMenamin had a shot from outside the box tipped over just as it looked like it was going in.
Northern Ireland really needed at least four points from this double run of games. Three points from this game would have been bearable, and some sort of platform ahead of the second half of the campaign.
Going into this game, Northern Ireland were 5th, but the four teams above them were all level on six points.
Nobody was running away with it. The group had still to take shape. Northern Ireland could play themselves back into contention with a couple of wins.
As much as Northern Ireland were being frustrated as an attacking force, at least Kazakhstan weren’t offering much in response.
Famous last words, it would turn out.
With just minutes on the clock remaining, the unthinkable happened. Kazakhstan scored to go 1-0 up.
It was a strange goal. You couldn’t work out if it was brilliance or fluke.
Abat Aymbetov got the ball, kicked it forward, chased after it, evaded a tackle and found himself through on goal.
From my view in the Railway Stand, I had a perfect view of it. Once he was through on goal, there was only going to be one outcome.
It looked like a goal from a Pub League.
Northern Ireland didn’t deserve it, but there was no time to feel sorry for themselves.
They had to dust themselves down and try to get something from the game, even if it was only a point. It was better than nothing. There was still enough time to get it.
Despite the increased urgency, Northern Ireland still never looked like scoring.
In those final minutes when chasing the game, the final pass always seemed to be awry.
Having never really looked like taking a lead, Northern Ireland never really looked like equalising. You still had to believe they would simply just because.
So it proved, as Kazakhstan held out for a win.
It was a frustrating night on so many levels.
During the first-half, you felt if Northern Ireland could get in front, they could win this quite comfortably.
A random observation, but Kazakhstan’s keeper looked quite short. Northern Ireland never really put him under pressure.
In short, the dream of Germany looks like it’s already over halfway into the campaign. It’s still mathematically doable. You have to cling on to that hope.
Northern Ireland don’t even have the back-up of a Play-Off via the Nations League. It’s Top Two or bust.
Not the best way to end 2022-2023. Only twelve days to wait until 2023-2024 starts.
Already confirmed for United v Bilbao in Dublin. planning on going to the UEFA Cup Final in Dublin. Planning on going to Bergamo or Milan to hopefully see a game. Thinking of going to Germany for the opening days of Euro 2024.
It doesn’t look like Northern Ireland will be there.
October’s football watching began with a trip to Stangmore Park, where the weather was four seasons in one day, to see Linfield get a 1-0 win.
Three days later, it was another away game (they were all away games at this point), not that far, to Dundela for a League Cup tie. The weather wasn’t four seasons in one day, it was constant rain.
Back on the road, except it was the train, to see Linfield draw 0-0 with Coleraine.
And then, it was three successive visits to Windsor Park for Linfield’s matches against Glentoran, Glenavon and Larne.
I then headed to Manchester for my first visit of the season to Old Trafford to see United take on Sheriff Tiraspol.
The next day after arriving back from Manchester, it was a second visit of the season to Newry, to see Linfield get a 2-0 win.
September’s football watching began with a trip to Ballymena, to see Linfield get their season back on track with a 4-0 win.
After the home match against Glenavon was postponed due to the death of The Queen, I then headed three days later to visit a ground for the first time, Mill Meadow, to see Linfield play Moyola Park in the NIFL Cup.
That was then followed by a trip to Seaview to see Linfield take on Crusaders.
The month ended, rather than usually starting, with an international, heading to Windsor Park to see Northern Ireland take on Kosovo.
Analogue Boy In A Digital World 