Summary

  • Callaghan puts NI ahead on 16 mins

  • Furness doubles NI's lead on 23 minutes

  • Wilson adds third goal just before break

  • Wade hits fourth goal on 70 mins

  • Furness also hits woodwork with penalty

  • NI face Latvia at Windsor Park on Tuesday

  1. It's still 2-0 - not sure how thoughpublished at 19:42 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 2-0 Luxembourg

    That was a proper 'how did that not go in?' goalmouth scramble.

    Wilson, Holloway, McFadden. They all looked to have an effort as the ball bobbled about but it just would not go in.

  2. The McGuinness supply line keeps deliveringpublished at 19:40 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 2-0 Luxembourg

    Kirsty McGuinness hasn't got her goal yet but her delivery with that sweet left foot of her's has been absolute quality.

    She has picked Rachel Furness out a few times, with Furness forcing saves from the visiting goalkeeper with headers.

    It's a definite weapon for Northern Ireland and it looks like they plan to make the most of it.

  3. Furness doesn't miss thosepublished at 19:36 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 2-0 Luxembourg

    Luxembourg will no doubt have known they need to mark Rachel Furness tightly.

    They didn't do it from this Kirsty McGuinness corner - and got punished.

    Goal number 32 for Northern Ireland for Furness.

    Media caption,

    Furness powers home a header to make it 2-0 at Inver Park

  4. Lovely lobpublished at 19:33 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 2-0 Luxembourg

    Class all round as Marissa Callaghan gives Northern Ireland the lead.

    Rachel Furness with the flick and captain Callaghan with the beautiful lob.

    Nice.

    Media caption,

    Marissa Callaghan with a neat lob to open the scoreing for Northern Ireland

  5. Postpublished at 19:26 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 2-0 Luxembourg

    Andy Gray
    BBC Sport NI at Inver Park

    Northern Ireland shared a clip of Furness heading the ball home on their twitter account earlier...obviously Luxembourg didn't see it.

    It's a textbook corner - a brilliant delivery and a bullet header.

    The Liverpool midfielder brings so much to this team and you could see how much that goal meant to her after her injury lay-off.

    You can hear Kenny Shiels yelling on the touchline for more - he won't be satisfied until the final whistle.

  6. goal

    GOALpublished at 19:25 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 2-0 Luxembourg

    Rachel Furness doubles Northern Ireland's lead with a towering header from a Kirsty McGuinness corner.

    We had noted earlier that NI had clearly been working on their corner routines, but this one was a simple enough cross into the box that found Furness unmarked - and she was never going to miss from there.

    Thirty-two goals and counting for the Liverpool player. What a force she is.

  7. Postpublished at 19:19 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 1-0 Luxembourg

    Andy Gray
    BBC Sport NI at Inver Park

    That's the start Northern Ireland were after!

    Of course it was captain fantastic Marissa Callaghan who was the one to provide the opener.

    It was a brilliant, instinctive finish and it brought the crowd at Inver Park to their feet.

    That could be the first of many this evening. It's all Northern Ireland so far!

    Inver Park
  8. goal

    GOALpublished at 19:18 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 1-0 Luxembourg

    That's a captain's job from Marissa Callaghan as she lobs her side into the lead with the opening goal in the 16th minute.

    A lovely goal it was, too.

    The returning Rachel Furness played her in with a clever flick and Callaghan showed all the poise in the world to lift with delicate lob over the goalkeeper and in.

    The two central midfielders combining in the box - Kenny Shiels will be all over that.

  9. Postpublished at 19:17 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Luxembourg

    Chloe McCarron is the latest Northern Ireland player to have an effort on goal.

    This one was a curling free-kick from the left wing by Chloe McCarron that was straight at the keeper.

  10. No cutting cornerspublished at 19:13 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Luxembourg

    There's no doubt Northern Ireland have been spending time on the training ground practising their corner routines.

    There have been a few different routines on display already and it's something to keep an eye on.

  11. Postpublished at 19:09 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Luxembourg

    Northern Ireland are looking dangerous from corners in the early stages and very nearly scored from one on six minutes.

    Julie Nelson is one of four players running from the edge of the box and she got on the end of the cross from Kirsty McGuinness, but her looping header dropped just wide of the post.

    All Northern Ireland so far.

  12. Postpublished at 19:04 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Luxembourg

    Big chance that for Northern Ireland in the first minute.

    Kirsty McGuinness has a cross that wasn't cleared properly, it dropped to Emily Wilson but her shot is far too weak and straight at the keeper.

    Could - and probably should - have been a glorious start for the hosts.

  13. Show timepublished at 19:01 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Luxembourg

    We're underway in Larne.

  14. Postpublished at 19:01 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland v Luxembourg (19:00 BST)

    Andy Gray
    BBC Sport NI at Inver Park

    There was a hearty round of applause as the players came out of the tunnel at Inver Park.

    This is the first time the majority of supporters have been able to watch this history-making side in the flesh and it's also Luxembourg's first ever full qualifier.

    A proud night for all.

  15. Inver pays its respects to Maurapublished at 19:00 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland v Luxembourg (19:00 BST)

    Everyone at Inver comes together for a minute's applause in memory of trailblazer Maura Muldoon, who passed away last week.

    Maura was the first women’s football representative on the Irish FA Council, joining at the turn of the millennium, and later became part of the Irish FA’s first Executive Committee and then a member of the first Irish FA Board.

    She was also former chairperson of Glentoran and the first woman to sit on the board at the east Belfast club. She also played for Belfast United as a goalkeeper.

  16. Postpublished at 18:58 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland 0-0 Luxembourg (19:00 BST)

    Anthems complete.

    Kick-off imminent.

    Inver Park awaits.

  17. Home comforts for Nelsonpublished at 18:53 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland v Luxembourg

    Northern Ireland women have made Seaview something of a fortress recently.

    For experienced defender Julie Nelson, it means she has got to enjoy all of the recent success at the home of Crusaders Strikers, where she plays her club football.

    And tonight she gets to play in her hometown of Larne, as Inver Park hosts a major international for the first time.

    Read more about the she feels about that here.

    Julie NelsonImage source, Pacemaker
    Image caption,

    Julie Nelson

  18. Could history repeat itself?published at 18:51 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland v Luxembourg (19:00 BST)

    2021 has been the year when the Northern Ireland women's team truly announced their arrival on the international stage.

    They made history by qualifying for next year's Euro finals by beating Ukraine in a play-off back in April, and tonight they begin their bid to reach the World Cup finals.

    Can they do it? Well, if they are going to, our reporter Andy Gray has had a close look at just what may need to happen for them to be booking flights to Australia and New Zealand in the summer of 2023.

    Read his thoughts here.

    Marissa Callaghan
  19. Elsewhere in Group D...published at 18:50 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland v Luxembourg (19:00 BST)

    England get their World Cup campaign underway against North Macedonia at St. Mary's in Southampton tonight.

    Earlier, Austria, who Northern Ireland will be aiming to pip to second position, beat Latvia 7-1 in their opening match.

    Latvia put in a plucky showing in the first half and only trailed 2-1 after taking a shock lead, however the visitors turned on the style to fire seven past their opponents and get their campaign off to a perfect start.

  20. Why Beattie is packing the books away... for nowpublished at 18:50 British Summer Time 17 September 2021

    Northern Ireland v Luxembourg (19:00 BST)

    Kerry Beattie has taken the Women's Premiership by storm this season with Glentoran.

    And, having made her senior Northern Ireland debut against Scotland in June, the 18-year-old striker is now putting her studies on hold to chase her dream of making Kenny Shiels' squad for next summer's European Championships.

    Read more here about Beattie's career aspirations.

    Kerry BeattieImage source, Pacemaker
    Image caption,

    Kerry Beattie has been amongst the goals for the Glens