2023 Women's World Cup qualifiers: Rachel Furness breaks record as NI end 2021 on high
- Published
Northern Ireland secure second huge win over North Macedonia
Northern Ireland ended a memorable year on a high with a 9-0 victory over North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying.
Rachel Furness - Northern Ireland's leading women's scorer of all time - surpassed David Healy's men's record of 36 goals, while Kirsty McGuinness scored a hat-trick.
Rebecca Holloway scored twice after netting in the record 11-0 win over North Macedonia on Thursday.
Simone Magill and Furness added further goals at a sold-out Seaview before Kerry Beattie completed the rout.
Kenny Shiels' side move into second position in Group D, three points ahead of Austria who play Luxembourg on Tuesday.
The comfortable win was Northern Ireland's final game of 2021 before a big year which will see fixtures in April against Austria and England and then Euro 2022 next summer.
Qualification for a first-ever women's major tournament and their record 11-0 victory over North Macedonia on Thursday means NI have had a memorable year.
They also played at Windsor Park for the first time since its redevelopment, took on England at Wembley in October and sold out their home ground at Seaview against Austria.
Furness breaks record in first half
Record breaker Rachel Furness and hat-trick hero Kirsty McGuinness
The first half belonged to Furness, who, with Northern Ireland already two goals to the good, netted her 37th Northern Ireland goal to surpass Healy as the country's record goalscorer in men's or women's internationals.
The ball broke to the Liverpool midfielder on the edge of the area and she tucked a left-foot effort into the net and sparked the loudest cheer of the night.
Prior to Furness' goal, just like in Skopje, Northern Ireland were well on top from the first whistle and Marissa Callaghan and McGuinness had efforts well blocked by the visiting defence.
Magill thought she had made the breakthrough on 10 minutes when she converted Demi Vance's cross but the flag, somewhat belatedly, went up for offside.
Northern Ireland's disappointment, however, lasted only seconds as McGuinness raced onto a through ball before arrowing an effort off the post and into the net.
Kirsty McGuinness watches her chip land in the far corner
Lauren Wade and Callaghan let fly as the hosts went in search of a second, before Furness saw a powerful header cleared off the line and McGuinness saw another effort saved by Magdalena Lekovska.
After netting her maiden international goal on Thursday, Holloway grabbed a spectacular second when her 30-yard strike flew into the top scorner on the half-hour mark despite the best efforts of the visiting goalkeeper.
Furness netted Northern Ireland's third in her history-making moment before McGuinness made it four when her delightful chip landed into the far corner, and it could have been better if Wade didn't have another effort ruled out for offside at the end of the half.
McGuinness savours hat-trick
The pressure kept coming after the break and Wade blazed over the top in the first attack of the second half before McGuinness and Magill were inches away from adding more gloss to the scoreline.
Aleksandra Markova had a rare effort for North Macedonia, which landed well wide, before the outstanding Magill headed onto the crossbar from Callaghan's cutback.
Furness curled over the top as the green shirts piled forward, and the fifth goal came when McGuiness touched home from close range on 62 minutes from Magill's fourth assist of the game.
A sold-out Seaview enjoyed nine goals in a memorable win
Holloway slammed home NI's sixth two minutes later and Magill was inches away from a deserved goal when her low effort flew the wrong side of the post.
Magill eventually made it seven when she skipped into the area and slotted past Lekovska on 74 minutes, and Furness was unlucky not to grab her second of the night when her volley was driven off the line by Ane Boseka, but the relentless midfielder headed home from Wade's deep cross with five minutes to play.
There was a great moment for Beattie who scored with the last kick of the game from close range, her first international goal, to round out the win and a memorable night in front of a lively and packed Seaview crowd.