Marissa Callaghan and Nadene Caldwell confirmed Northern Ireland’s qualification for UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 as they beat Ukraine 2-0 in the second leg of their play-off.
Skipper Callaghan’s 55th-minute strike gave her side the lead at Seaview in Belfast before substitute Caldwell added a second deep into stoppage time to make it 4-1 on aggregate and ensure the nation’s first ever participation at a finals tournament.
Kenny Shiels’ side, who won 2-1 in Kovalivka on Friday, started brightly and threatened from a series of early set-pieces which repeatedly put goalkeeper Kateryna Samson under pressure.
However, as Ukraine’s wide midfielders Olha Boychenko and Olha Ovdiychuk started to make an impression they were served with a reminder that their job was far from done.
Everton striker Simone Magill, who scored Northern Ireland’s winner in the first leg, tested Samson from a tight angle 12 minutes before the break, but goalkeeper Jackie Burns was relieved to see Daryna Apanaschenko drag her shot wide in first-half added time
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