Summary

  • Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria - listen on Radio Ulster

  • NI dominate bt fail to find breakthrough

  • Captain Davis wins 126th NI cap - a record among British nations

  • Jonny Evans, Cathcart, Dallas & Lewis among those to come into XI

  1. 'NI can't get a break'published at 21:20 British Summer Time 31 March 2021

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    John O'Neill
    Former Northern Ireland defender on BBC Radio Ulster

    One chance, just give us one good chance!

  2. CLOSE!published at 74 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    A superb effort by Niall McGinn who catches it sweetly on the turn but it's narrowly wide.

    Agony.

  3. Postpublished at 72 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Bulgaria are getting ready to make more changes.

  4. Let's call it rightpublished at 70 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Mark Sterling
    BBC Sport NI at Windsor Park

    If Northern Ireland are going to break the deadlock it does look as if it is likely to come from an attack down the right wing.

    Paddy McNair in particular is starting to look more like his marauding self, with Stuart Dallas threatening down that flank as well,.

    Niall McGinn on up front for Gavin Whyte is an interesting change by Ian Baraclough, with the Aberdeen man far more known for his forays from wide.

    He's been the man for the big occasion in the past for NI - can he deliver again?

  5. Postpublished at 68 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    A Bulgaria players fall to the ground and wants a free-kick but the referee waves play on. Jamal Lewis runs into a red brick wall.

  6. Postpublished at 66 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    One goal. A scruffy goal. A scrappy goal. An own goal. Just one goal will do.

  7. SUBSTITUTIONpublished at 64 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Ian Baraclough turns to Niall McGinn, scorer of Northern Ireland's goal against the USA at the weekend. Can he come up with another?

    Gavin Whyte has made way.

  8. Postpublished at 62 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Good movement as Paddy McNair finds Stuart Dallas inside the Bulgaria box but the Leeds player's pass is intercepted. Then Northern Ireland win another corner. They're knocking on the door again.

  9. Postpublished at 60 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Half an hour plus stoppages. Where is Northern Ireland's goal coming from? There's movement on the home bench. A change coming up.

  10. The Kop would have been bouncingpublished at 59 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Mark Sterling
    BBC Sport NI at Windsor Park

    It doesn't take much to get the Northern Ireland fans bouncing in the Kop stand when they're inside the stadium.

    Four home corners in the space of as many minutes right in front of them would have had them on their feet just now.

    Some clever short-corner routines on show from NI, as well. A Jonny Evans header over the bar was all they had to show for them, but encouraging nonetheless.

  11. Postpublished at 58 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Yet another Northern Ireland corner which is cleared and Bulgaria attempt a counter but Bailey Peacock-Farrell comes flying out of his penalty area to clear the danger.

  12. Postpublished at 56 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Goalless in Belfast but there's been a goal in the other game in Group C. Leaders Italy have taken the lead away to Lithuania.

  13. Postpublished at 54 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Buglaria

    Northern Ireland are piling on the pressure after winning a string of corners. From the latest one the ball falls invitingly for Jonny Evans but his header is comfortably saved by Daniel Naumov.

  14. Postpublished at 52 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Now a corner. Paddy McNair plays a one-two with Stuart Dallas before the former drives into the penalty area and wins another corner.

  15. Postpublished at 50 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Much better by Northern Ireland.

    They're upped the tempo and they're stretching Bulgaria's defence.

  16. CLOSE!published at 48 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    That's close!

    A quickly-taken free-kick catches Bulgaria's defence napping and Gavin Whyte unleashes a shot which Daniel Naumov does well to keep out.

    That's just the start to the second half Ian Baraclough wanted.

  17. SUBSTITUTIONpublished at 47 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    A change for the visitors at the start of the second half.

    Bulgarian Player of the Year Dimitar Iliev is on for Antonio Vutov.

    That's Bulgaria's second change of the match. Northern Ireland have yet to make any.

  18. KICK-OFFpublished at 45 mins

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Here we go then.

    Where's Northern Ireland's goal coming from?

    We're back under way.

  19. 'We need to ask questions of Bulgaria'published at 20:47 British Summer Time 31 March 2021

    HT: Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Gareth McAuley
    Former Northern Ireland defender on BBC Radio Ulster

    If Stuart's chance goes in then it is a different game. They have matched us up with a 3-5-2, it's man for man. We want a spare man up top but our spare man is in defence. We need Jonny Evans, Craig Cathcart or Daniel Ballard to step up out of defence or Baraclough has make a change and go to a 4-3-3 to ask questions with the shape. They are content to sit back and play for a draw.

  20. Postpublished at 20:45 British Summer Time 31 March 2021

    HT: Northern Ireland 0-0 Bulgaria

    Elsewhere in Group C, third-placed Lithuania are holding leaders Italy 0-0 at half-time.