Heading into the weekend, Kyle Lafferty was far from nailed on as the first choice striker for Northern Ireland.
Liam Boyce has been preferred in both internationals back in November, while the likes of Conor Washington and Josh Magennis were also in contention.
Yet, Michel O’Neill put faith in the Rangers forward.
He led the line for his country during two big Euro 2020 Qualifying wins against Estonia and Belarus.
However, he failed to take his
opportunities to impress Steven Gerrard.
In the first game, he played 76 minutes and registered an assist for the opening goal. Taking down Jordan Jones’ cross, he showed composure in laying the ball off for the onrushing Niall McGinn.
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Three days later, against Estonia, he played 79 minutes and ran himself into the ground for the cause.
Goals hard to come by
Tellingly, though, he was unable to find the net on either occasion. Against Estonia, he missed two gilt-edged chances. The first was belatedly flagged for offside, but the second was a relatively free header with the goal gaping.
Furthermore, his hold up play wasn’t as good as it could have been. Far too often – whether fired into him on the deck or in the air – balls bounced off the lone striker.
The two consecutive starts offered a major opportunity to get back to goalscoring ways. Had he been outstanding, he would have at least given his manager something to think about.
As it stands, he’s unlikely to play much of a role against Celtic on Sunday.
A spot on the bench for the Old Firm, is now perhaps the best he can hope for.
