Košice, Slovakia – Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifying hopes suffered a crushing blow as a late goal from Slovakia debutant Tomas Bobcek secured a 1-0 victory for the home side. The defeat, which occurred in Kosice, left Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill visibly frustrated, particularly with the circumstances surrounding the decisive goal.

The match appeared to be heading for a stalemate until the first minute of stoppage time. From a corner kick, Bobcek managed to poke the ball into the net after Northern Ireland goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell failed to collect it cleanly. However, the Northern Ireland team was adamant that Daniel Ballard had been fouled in the build-up, arguing that Leo Sauer had pushed him.

O'Neill didn't hold back his feelings about the refereeing decisions. He stated that the goal "should clearly have been disallowed" due to the push on Ballard. He further elaborated that Ballard was pushed with two hands in his back.

Adding to the frustration, Ballard was later shown a second yellow card, resulting in a red card, compounding Northern Ireland's misery. O'Neill himself received a booking after the final whistle for his protests to the referee, Istvan Kovacs.

The game was not without earlier controversial moments. Slovakia had two goals disallowed in the second half, one for offside and another for handball. O'Neill acknowledged that those decisions were correct. Lukas Haraslin had a goal chalked off in the 55th minute after Milan Skriniar was deemed to be offside and interfering with Peacock-Farrell. Another strike from David Strelec was disallowed for handball.

Despite the loss, Northern Ireland is assured of a qualifying play-off place due to Croatia's 3-1 victory over the Faroe Islands. This is a result of their performance in the Nations League. However, O'Neill's immediate focus was on the injustice he felt his team had suffered.

O'Neill expressed disappointment at losing the game so late, especially with a goal he believed should not have stood. He argued that each incident should be judged on its own merit and that the final decision should not have been influenced by the earlier disallowed goals.

Looking ahead, Slovakia's victory sets up a crucial match against Germany in Leipzig. A win would see them top Group A and secure an automatic World Cup berth.

Despite the defeat, O’Neill had previously expressed confidence in his young Northern Ireland squad, emphasizing their potential for growth. He highlighted their strong performance in a previous 2-0 win over Slovakia, noting their energy and hunger. However, the frustration of this late defeat was evident, overshadowing the assurance of a play-off spot. O'Neill said that the team was disappointed with the loss and especially the goal that should have been disallowed. He also added that Bailey Peacock-Farrell should have done better but it was still a foul.