Ali McCann looks to have fired home a second for the home side but the referee rules it out, adjudging that Josh Magnnis is an offside position and is interfering with play.

The forward didn't touch the ball but the 'goal' is chalked off.

It's all Northern Ireland and you get the feeling that a second is not far away.

Lithuania have their first scoring opportunity of the game but Arvydas Novikovas heads wide of the target.

Mark Sterling
BBC Sport NI at Windsor Park

This has been a good start from Northern Ireland.

They look really dangerous down the right hand side with Paddy McNair stepping out from defence and linking up well with Stuart Dallas and Ali McCann.

Neat interchange from them helped create that chance for Conor Washington which he should have tested the keeper with more.

Steven Davis is getting on the ball and Lithuania look a bit toothless.

So far, so good.

The home side continue to dominate as Conor Washington forces Ernestas Setkus into a fine save from his close-range shot.

Another gilt-edged chance goes begging for Baraclough's men.

Shane Ferguson delivers a delicious cross from the left which is met by Josh Magennis in the area but the striker's header flashes just wide of the post.

Best chance of the game so far. Could, and perhaps should, have been 1-0.

Northern Ireland make a lively start with some enterprising play, forcing the visitors to concede a couple of free-kicks in dangerous areas but they come to nothing.

The match has been played almost entirely in the Lithuanian half so far.

Hungarian referee Istvan Vad blows his whistle and we are underway.

That is followed by a minute of reflection in recognition of this Remembrance period as the stadium falls silent.

The teams are out on the pitch at Windsor Park and the anthems are being played.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell has endeared himself further to an already appreciative Northern Ireland support with his two penalty saves away to Lithuania and at home to Switzerland during the present campaign.

Tonight winning his 28th cap, Peacock-Farrell has enjoyed a new lease of life on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and spoke this week of one day perhaps reaching Steven Davis' NI record of 131 caps.

First thought, the NI stopper must see off the challenge of squad new boy Luke Southwood, who is also performing well regularly between the sticks for Championship side Reading.

Not to mention Conor Hazard and Trevor Carson as well.

Image source, inpho

Mark Sterling
BBC Sport NI at Windsor Park

Not that long to go until kick-off and the usual pre-match atmosphere has certainly not kicked in at Windsor just yet.

Sweet Caroline - the old favourite - is having its first blast and the noise levels are climbing.

There must still be plenty to come from the Green And White Army, though. And there's plenty of them to come, too, with quite a few empty seats dotted around the ground.

With goalscoring having been a persistent problem for Northern Ireland over recent years, there is ample opportunity for any young forward to come in, make an impact and prove that he may provide the answer to that particular conundrum.

One such chance may be afforded to 17-year-old Nottingham Forest forward Dale Taylor tonight if he is given his debut off the substitutes' bench.

Taylor has received his first call-up to the senior squad after impressing for Forest's Under-23 side this season and scoring for NI's Under-21 team against Scotland in the summer.

Manager Ian Baraclough has shown his willingness to give youth a chance in handing caps to the likes of Liverpool teenager Conor Bradley in recent months and has hinted pre-match that Taylor may be given his chance to impress against the Lithuanians, particularly if the outcome of the game is secure come the latter stages of the game.

Image source, Inpho

The international future of NI skipper Steven Davis has been the subject of speculation in recent days after the captain indicated that he would "sit back and reflect", external on the matter after rounding out the World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania tonight and Italy on Monday.

The Rangers midfielder wins his 131st cap tonight but would be 39 years old by the time the next major championships, the 2024 Euro finals, come round, were Northern Ireland to qualify.

There is no doubt that NI would miss the huge influence of their skipper in the engine room but few would begrudge Davis his decision were he to call it a day from the international arena after years of faithful service.

For his part, Leicester City defender Jonny Evans has indicated that he is not considering international retirement as he starts to close in on a century of caps.

Image source, Inpho

They say what footballers do away from the pitch can be as important as what they do on it.

If that's the case, then we can expect a good performance from Conor Washington tonight.

The Northern Ireland and Charlton Athletic striker revealed during one of his media briefings that, while playing Football Manager in the team hotel on Tuesday night, he took his beloved Arsenal to the Premier League title in his second season in charge.

And he looked quite proud of his achievement, too.

No titles on the line tonight, of course, but if Washington can keep his 'winning run' going tonight the home fans will be happy.

Washington was one of the scorers in the 4-1 win in Lithuania, Daniel Ballard, Shayne Lavery and Paddy McNair also getting their names on the scoresheet.

Image source, Presseye

Northern Ireland went into the World Cup qualifying campaign as third seeds in Group C but find themselves in a battle to justify that position by finishing third in their pool.

Bulgaria currently occupy third spot on eight points, three points ahead of Ian Baraclough's men before tonight's game.

With Northern Ireland facing the might of Euro champions Italy on Monday and Bulgaria taking on Switzerland on the same evening, a win for the hosts tonight is crucial to any lingering hopes of ending up behind the group's two pacesetters and thereby helping to ensure better seeding for future qualification campaigns and an improvement in their coefficient.

Mark Sterling
BBC Sport NI at Windsor Park

Ironically, given how much talk of younger players has dominated the build-up, Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough has filled his starting 11 with experience.

Jonny Evans makes a welcome return to what looks like a back three where the Leicester City man is joined by Paddy McNair and Craig Cathcart.

Shane Ferguson and Stuart Dallas are the wide men with George Saville and Ali McCann providing the legs in midfield either side of captain Steven Davis.

Josh Magennis, who has been on the bench for recent games, returns to the side to partner Conor Washington up front.

If youngsters Dale Taylor, Conor Bradley and Ethan Galbraith are to make an impression tonight, it will have to be from the bench.

Lithuania have lost their last six competitive away games and lie bottom of Group C, having conceded 18 goals in their seven qualifying fixtures so far.

They lie bottom of the group with three points - those picked up from a somewhat unexpected 3-1 win over Bulgaria in Vilniius during the last international window in October.

Manager Valdas Ivanauskas is still relatively new to the job, having been appointed in August.

Northern Ireland ran out 4-1 winners in his first game in charge of the squad on 2 September.

Tonight's game with Lithuania and Monday's encounter with Italy mark the end of Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough's initial contract at the helm following his appointment to succeed Michael O'Neill in June 2020.

The Irish Football Association revealed last month that they had "unanimously agreed" to offer the former Motherwell boss a new deal.

Despite an indifferent record of four wins, four draws and 10 defeats from his first 18 matches in charge, Baraclough has shown enough to persuade the IFA's Board that he is worthy of another spell in charge to take in the forthcoming Nations League series and Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

The NI boss said on Thursday that everything had been "agreed" and it was only a matter of time before he would put pen to paper on the new deal.

A major influence in the IFA's decision is likely to have been the work Baraclough has already done in nurturing the country's young talent in the hope that he will continue to smooth their pathway to a place in the senior squad to gain experience at the highest level.

Image source, Inpho

The renowned Windsor Park atmosphere is well known across Europe.

Many teams have been blown away by the noise made by the Green And White Army down the years, and the south Belfast stadium became something of a fortress under Michael O'Neill.

However, Northern Ireland have not won at home in any of their last eight competitive matches.

A 2-1 Euro 2020 qualifying win over Belarus in March 2019 was the side's last win in front of their passionate supporters, who of course have not been able to attend most of the matches during that run.

No better time than tonight to put the record straight and give Ian Baraclough his first home win as boss.