Northern Ireland 0-0 Hungary

Northern Ireland were left frustrated in a 0-0 draw at home to Hungary that the hosts looked to have there for the taking in their UEFA Nations League Group B2 clash at the National Stadium at Windsor Park.

Patrick Kelly twice went close in the first half and Isaac Price was denied by Balazs Toth late on, but Northern Ireland could not find the goal which would have made it a perfect start to the campaign in Group B2. They looked the better side against higher-ranked opposition who struggled to create chances until the latter stages of a night when Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai's most notable contribution was to charge up the Windsor Park crowd.

Kelly and Price spurn gilt-edged chances

Coming off the back of Friday's last-gasp 1-0 win in Tbilisi and enjoying the roar of a Windsor Park crowd for the first time in 315 days, Northern Ireland were quick to get at Hungary with a strong press, picking off hurried passes from the visiting defence. That led to early chances for the busy Ethan Galbraith and Price before Trai Hume sent a shot from the edge of the area narrowly wide.

Northern Ireland's best two chances of the first half both came for Kelly. Just after the half-hour mark, Price slipped it through and the Barnsley midfielder tried to chip Blackburn's Balazs Toth but could not get enough height on the shot with the goal gaping. Then Tom Atcheson flicked on a Ciaron Brown long throw and, although Shea Charles could not reach the ball as he tussled with Milos Kerkez, it fell for an off-balance Kelly who looped it up on to the top of the crossbar.

Hungary grow into the contest

Hungary were not enjoying Northern Ireland's physical approach as they struggled to threaten and tempers began to fray. After Jamie Donley became the third home player to be booked, O'Neill also saw yellow for his protests and the half ended in confrontation after Charles left Daniel Lukacs in a heap challenging for a high ball.

Hungary began to get forward more after the break. Schafer sent a snapshot wide inside the box before missing the target from long range after a short free-kick, and Donat Barany headed over from a corner. Northern Ireland were struggling to get forward as they had in the first half, but from a free-kick pumped into the box Price spun away from Kerkez before seeing his shot saved at the near post by Toth.

Resolute rearguard action secures the point

There were nervous moments in the closing stages as Ruairi McConville threw himself in front of a close-range strike from Willi Orban and Pierce Charles repelled a powerful effort from Bournemouth's Alex Toth to preserve his fifth clean sheet in seven competitive appearances for Northern Ireland.

It means Michael O'Neill's side have lost only one of their last 10 games in Belfast, and they looked resolute again with Hungary managing only one shot on target. The major frustration for O'Neill, however, will be the number of yellow cards shown by referee Ricardo De Burgos, with Shea Charles, Jamie Donley, Isaac Price and Ethan Galbraith all going in the book along with the manager himself.