Northern Ireland 2-1 South Korea

Northern Ireland's Paul Smyth celebrates in acrobatic style after scoring the winner

A late goal by debutant Paul Smyth gave Northern Ireland a 2-1 friendly win over World Cup qualifiers South Korea.

The Queens Park Rangers forward fired a low drive into the bottom corner in the 85th minute soon after coming on as a substitute.

Kwon Chang-hoon had given the visitors an early lead with a neat finish.

Northern Ireland equalised when Jamie Ward's cross from the right, after a clever Oliver Norwood free-kick, was turned into his own net by Kim Min-jae.

• Relive the action from Northern Ireland v South Korea

The match was the first of nine for Northern Ireland this year, which will form the build-up to the start of the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign in March 2019.

The game also marked their return to action for the first time since the controversial two-legged World Cup play-off defeat by Switzerland in November, and since manager Michael O'Neill agreed a new improved contract to remain in charge until 2024.

Smyth scored just four minutes after coming on as a Northern Ireland substitute

Visitors' bright opening

South Korea dominated the early stages and edged ahead when Kwon ran onto a defence-splitting pass by impressive Tottenham striker Son Heung-min, took one touch and rifled a shot past debutant Trevor Carson for his fourth international goal.

The hosts were level in the 20th minute when Norwood played a free-kick to the side of the South Korean defensive wall and defender Kim got the final touch to Ward's pass.

Josh Magennis had an effort tipped over by Kim Seung-gyu after the break, but South Korea had the better of the chances in the second half, Lee Jae-sung shooting narrowly wide twice, Carson saving a deflected Park effort and Ryan McLaughlin blocking from Kim Shin-wook.

But Smyth's spectacular late finish saw him become the first Northern Ireland player to score on his debut since George McCartney against Iceland in 2001.

The former Linfield striker was only called into the squad on Friday, having been drafted in from the under-21 squad that is playing in Euro 2019 qualifiers.

Northern Ireland's new era

The game had something of the feel of a new era for O'Neill's side, as Norwich full-back Jamal Lewis made a competent first appearance, Kilmarnock's Jordan Jones started for the first time and goalkeeper Carson earned his first cap after being understudy to first-choice Michael McGovern in recent years.

The Motherwell stopper, the subject of two failed bids by Celtic during the January transfer window, made several good saves, palming away Son's fiercely struck angled drive in the first half and denying Park in the second.

Captain Steven Davis was one of several regular first-teamers missing, the Southampton midfielder having played in all of his country's previous 28 games, but Norwood and man-of-the-match George Saville successfully filled the void left by his absence in midfield.

South Korea's defeat ended a run of eight matches unbeaten, their last loss having been a 3-1 reverse to Morocco in October 2017.

Shin Tae-yong's side have qualified for a ninth consecutive World Cup finals, the only country outside Europe and South America to be an ever-present since 1986, and their players were eager to impress with places on the plane to Russia this summer at stake.

What's next?

South Korea will next play Poland on Tuesday, then face Honduras, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bolivia before taking on Sweden, Mexico and Germany in Group F at the finals in June.

Northern Ireland are next in action against Panama on 29 May and Costa Rica on 3 June, then face difficult opposition in the form of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Austria in the inaugural Uefa Nations League in the autumn.