Northern Ireland's hopes of reaching Euro 2024 suffered a significant blow on Tuesday evening as they fell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Slovakia at Windsor Park.
The result leaves Michael O'Neill's side with a mountain to climb in their qualification campaign, with their fate now largely out of their own hands.
Early Setback Dashes Home Hopes
The visitors struck first in the 18th minute when Juraj Kucka's powerful header found the back of the net, silencing the home crowd in Belfast. Northern Ireland struggled to find their rhythm throughout the first half, with Slovakia controlling much of the possession and creating the better chances.
Things went from bad to worse for the Green and White Army when substitute Lukas Haraslin doubled Slovakia's advantage in the 81st minute, effectively sealing the three points for the visitors.
O'Neill's Frustration Evident
Manager Michael O'Neill didn't hide his disappointment after the match, telling reporters: "We're obviously very disappointed with the result. We knew this was a crucial game in our campaign, and we didn't perform to the level required against a quality opponent."
The defeat means Northern Ireland have taken just three points from their opening four matches in Group H, leaving them five points behind second-placed Slovenia and a massive eight points adrift of group leaders Denmark.
Must-Win Scenario Against Slovenia
With their qualification hopes now hanging by a thread, Northern Ireland face what amounts to a must-win encounter when they travel to face Slovenia in September. Anything less than three points would likely end their chances of automatic qualification.
The team will need to regroup quickly and find the form that saw them compete strongly against Denmark in their previous outing, where they were unfortunate to leave empty-handed.
O'Neill acknowledged the challenge ahead: "We have no choice but to pick ourselves up and prepare for Slovenia. Every game now is a final for us, and we need to start getting results if we want to keep our dreams alive."
The international break in September now takes on critical importance for Northern Irish football, with the nation's Euro 2024 aspirations resting on their ability to bounce back from this disappointing setback.
