O'Neill criticises refereeing after Northern Ireland's late win in Georgia

Michael O'Neill criticised the refereeing after Northern Ireland's 1-0 Nations League win in Georgia on Friday, saying his players had needed resilience to overcome both their opponents and decisions that went against them. Speaking to BBC Sport NI, the manager questioned the penalty awarded to Georgia and an appeal rejected at the other end.

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O'Neill said he had not watched the penalty incident again but considered the decision harsh. It followed a VAR review of Daniel Ballard's challenge on Luka Lochoshvili. He also disputed the decision not to penalise a challenge on substitute Ceadach O'Neill, linking the subsequent counterattack to the passage of play in which Ballard was injured.

The manager told BBC Sport NI that Ballard had suffered a hamstring injury and would miss the next three matches in the international window, against Hungary, Ukraine and Georgia. A scan was planned for the following day. O'Neill praised his players' response to a difficult second half, while the extent of the defender's injury remained to be assessed.

Press Association's match report, published by The42, detailed the decisive contribution of goalkeeper Pierce Charles before his brother Shea supplied the winner. Pierce saved Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's penalty in the 65th minute, having already kept out a close-range effort from Georges Mikautadze. Those saves kept the score level while Georgia pressed for a breakthrough after the interval.

Shea Charles had opportunities of his own before finally scoring. Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili stopped one attempt at the end of a counterattack, and Charles later shot wide from a promising position. The decisive opening arrived in the ninth minute of added time, after Georgia failed to clear a long throw and Trai Hume delivered the cross.

Charles finished to give Northern Ireland the lead, although a VAR check for offside delayed confirmation of the goal. The result secured the team's first away victory in the Nations League. It completed an evening in which both Charles brothers had decisive roles, but Ballard's late withdrawal left O'Neill with a defensive absence for the remainder of the window.