Highlights: Price strike sees ten-man Northern Ireland past Iceland

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Windsor Park

Northern Ireland held on for a narrow friendly victory over Iceland despite playing for more than half an hour with 10 men.

The hosts had taken the lead through Isaac Price's 36th-minute strike and came close to extending their advantage on several occasions either side of the break before Brodie Spencer was dismissed 12 minutes into the second half.

The Huddersfield Town defender was the last man when he pulled back Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, with Danish referee Morten Krogh quick to brandish the red card.

But the hosts defended stoutly with Price clearing an Andri Gudjohnsen header off the line and then, in added time, Isak Bergmann Johannesson was denied by an excellent save from Pierce Charles.

It confirmed a battling victory that boss Michael O'Neill will hope gives his side momentum heading into their first 2026 World Cup qualifying fixture away to Luxembourg in September.

Watch: Isaac Price 'wants more' after hitting winner

Returning home after Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Denmark, Northern Ireland will have expected to make use of the Windsor Park advantage.

Yet, after former heroes Jonny Evans and Steven Davis were honoured just before kick-off, the crowd were quickly silenced by an efficient Iceland outfit.

Fresh off beating Scotland 3-1 at Hampden Park, the visitors took any sting out of the opening exchanges without asking much of Pierce Charles in the home goal.

In terms of their own spells in possession, the hosts' efforts will have felt disappointingly similar to their defeat in Copenhagen as, too often, they were quickly caught on the ball and turned over.

The spark that brought the game to life came with O'Neill switching Conor Bradley from right wing-back into a more attacking position, with the Liverpool man almost making an instant impact.

With his side suddenly more threatening, it was only moments later when, nine minutes before half-time, Price picked the ball up, drifted inside from the left and curled a low effort into the bottom corner.

The West Bromwich Albion man, who scored a hat-trick on this ground against Bulgaria in October, celebrated his ninth international goal - the same number as George Best and Norman Whiteside netted for the country.

A team transformed, Northern Ireland came close to doubling their lead in first-half injury time when Ross County striker Ronan Hale was denied a debut goal by the crossbar and Price fired the rebound over.

Ronan HalePacemaker Press

Ronan Hale saw an effort come back off the crossbar in added time at the end of the first half

Paul Smyth was replaced by Ethan Galbraith at half-time with Northern Ireland carrying their momentum from the first half into the second.

It was the substitute's clever flicked header from a Shea Charles free-kick that looped just the wrong side of the post, while Hale looked to be in shortly afterwards as he charged towards goal only for his effort across the face to miss both the far corner and the sliding Price.

But it was in a rare foray forward during the opening exchanges of the second half that Iceland's Haraldsson broke through with Spencer adjudged to have been last man as he tugged back the visiting skipper.

In the frantic minutes that followed, Dan Ballard, Galbraith and Price all made timely interventions, while the former had a chance at the other end with a header.

As the game opened up, Kristian Hlynsson flashed an effort wide before Lee Bonis, on in place of Hale, was almost put in the clear by an incisive Bradley pass.

Following Spencer's dismissal, the subsequent atmosphere from the crowd, and the determination of O'Neill's side to hold their lead, the intensity of the contest was far above the level often witnessed in friendlies at this stage of the season.

So too were the celebrations at the final whistle as Northern Ireland secured a confidence-boosting victory before the more serious business of World Cup qualifiers in three months' time.

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