The 'manager's dream' who has put NI one game from history

Image source, Press EyeImage caption, Terry Devlin scored his first Northern Ireland goal against UkraineByAndy GrayBBC Sport NI JournalistIt was a moment that Northern Ireland needed.When Terry Devlin picked the ball up on the edge of the area in the 68th minute against Ukraine there was only one thought in his mind.And when the ball flew into the corner Windsor Park erupted at another highlight of a Nations League campaign that has been a real feel-good story so far.Heading into Saturday's game they had yet to concede a goal, but the one thing they had lacked was a home win - or even a home goal - after drawing blanks in stalemates with Hungary and Georgia in Belfast.They had already come close when Jamie Donley slotted home in the first half but the forward had strayed offside, leaving the moment the hosts had been waiting for to come through Devlin's superb winner. It leaves Northern Ireland's Nations League fate in their own hands, and a draw or better in Hungary would secure promotion to League A for the first time.For Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill, it was a huge moment from a player who he said is "a bit of a dream" to manage."Terry's a great lad. He deserves everything he'll get from the game and he's one of those lads that maximises what he has," O'Neill said about the 23-year-old Portsmouth defender.Speaking about his versatility - Devlin can play in midfield as well as a full-back on either side - O'Neill added: "He does it with no fuss. He tries to do it to the best of his ability. "He's a bit of a dream for a manager and he has the ability to contribute goals."The average age of O'Neill's starting XI on Saturday was just 22.9 with eight players aged 23 or younger.Devlin epitomises what this team are all about with his all-action display rewarded with a first international goal. A versatile option, he broke through into senior football with his hometown club Dungannon Swifts in the Irish Premiership and impressive performances for Glentoran saw him earn a move to Portsmouth in 2023.He has now become a cult hero at Fratton Park, and he is the club's top scorer in the Championship this season. His winner in Belfast was a fitting moment for a player who continues to grow on the international stage."He's a very valuable player for Portsmouth and I think he's in the process of signing a new contract there, and I imagine a lot of teams in the Championship will be disappointed by that."'We're in a great position'While Devlin will get the headlines after his man-of-the-match performance, goalkeeper Pierce Charles came up with a big moment of his own with a superb reflex save to deny Danylo Sikan in the closing stages.The 21-year-old has yet to concede in the Nations League campaign, and he has produced several big moments to make it 466 minutes and counting without shipping a goal for Northern Ireland."You don't keep five clean sheets because you're good with the ball at your feet. You keep five clean sheets because you make good decisions," said O'Neill."You make saves when it's needed. He kind of does it without any fuss as well, which I think is really good. "He doesn't come and cause any issues with the back-three, which is very important for any goalkeeper, and he has a good decision-making process and a good understanding of the game." Northern Ireland will now head to Hungary with their Nations League destiny in their own hands in what is essentially a Group B2 decider.They are guaranteed a promotion play-off at the very least, but the goal will be to earn automatic elevation to League A for the first time.Figure caption, Highlights: Devlin nets first international goal to seal victoryConsidering Northern Ireland had just one Nations League win in 16 League B matches before the campaign, back-to-back promotions would be a remarkable achievement.One down side from the win over Ukraine was the two yellow cards accumulated, one for O'Neill and the other for key striker Jamie Donley.Both were for reactions to a perceived lack of decisions from French referee Francois Letexier, and both manager and player will now watch the game in Budapest from the stands."The referee doesn't like my reaction and there's not much I can do about that," O'Neill said."I would assume that I'm going to have to watch the game from the stands, but I'll be able to influence it from there, I'm sure."On Donley's booking, which came for protesting after Letexier failed to stop play when Trai Hume was bleeding from a cut on his head, O'Neill said it was a "poor yellow"."I thought Jamie had a very good game for us. He'll be a blow for us," he said.Image source, Press EyeImage caption, Terry Devlin started his professional career in the Irish PremiershipBut the suspensions will do little to dampen what was another encouraging night at Windsor Park.Hungary had piled the pressure on Northern Ireland by winning in Georgia earlier on Saturday, and Northern Ireland's response sets up a showdown to top the group on Tuesday."We were aware that Hungary had won the game earlier and we're in a great position," O'Neill added."It would be great to win the group. It will be a tough, tough game but this is a brilliant game for us. It's a great arena to play in."Having kept five clean sheets in as many matches, O'Neill is targeting completing the campaign without conceding. If they can do that, they would not only win promotion but secure a play-off for Euro 2028 as a back-up should their qualifying group not go to plan."For a nation of our size, with our players at this stage of their careers, to have a chance to win the group and also to be playing Nations League A is a big achievement. "I think we would probably be one of the smaller nations to play at Nations League A level since the start of the competition."We want to try to achieve that and we have a chance to do that on Tuesday night."More on this story