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International Friendlies

Mar 24, 2018 at 2pm UK

N. Ireland Northern Ireland
2-1
South Korea South Korea

Min-jae (20' og.), Smyth (86')

FT(HT: 1-1)

Chang-hoon (7')

Late Paul Smyth strike helps Northern Ireland see off South Korea

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 24 March 2018

A late goal from Queens Park Rangers forward Paul Smyth helps Northern Ireland run out 2-1 winners over South Korea in Saturday's friendly at Windsor Park.

Northern Ireland have secured a 2-1 win over South Korea in Saturday's friendly at Windsor Park.

Debutant Paul Smyth was the hero thanks to a late winner just minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute.

The hosts were on the back foot from the off and their poor start was punished as they conceded after just seven minutes played.

A ball over the top from Son Heung-min picked out the run of midfielder Kwon Chang-hoon, who took a touch before slotting home under Trevor Carson.

Jamie Ward had the ball in the back of the South Korean net on 13 minutes, firing home from close range following a set piece, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Nonetheless, Norn Iron were able to get back on level terms with a well-worked free kick straight off the training ground.

The set piece was played short to Ward down the right of the box and crossed low into the six-yard box, where Kim Min-jae's attempted clearance was bundled into the back of the visitors' net.

Michael O'Neill's side almost added a second on the stroke of half time, but Josh Magennis's flick-on from a throw was gathered by Kim Seung-gyu before George Saville could connect.

Magennis then came close to adding a goal of his own just after the restart, but his scooped effort flew just over the crossbar in a bright start to the second half for the hosts.

South Korea soon found their stride and had their opponents under siege leading up to the hour mark as Lee Jae-sung and Park Joo-hoo came close to getting a second.

Both sides continued to trade blows but an inspired substitution by O'Neill saw Northern Ireland claim a superb late winner.

Smyth was brought into the fold on 84 minutes and, just two minutes later, the Queens Park Rangers forward was on hand to smash the ball into the left-hand corner of the net on the turn.

NORTHERN IRELAND (4-3-3): Carson; Hughes (McLaughlin 18'), McAuley, Evans (Cathcart 68'), Lewis; Evans (Washington 62'), Norwood (McNair 71'), Saville; Ward (Boyce 62'), Magennis, Jones (Smyth 82')

SOUTH KOREA (4-3-3): SG Kim; YJ Lee, HS Jang, MJ Kim, JS Kim (MW Kim 35'); JH Park (CM Lee 62'), SY Ki (WY Jung 67'), JS Lee; CH Kwon (HC Hwang 62'), SW Kim, HM Son (KH Yeom 75')