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Northern Ireland top UEFA Nations League group after stunning Belarus

Ian Baraclough's men made it three wins from three in League C Group 2 with a 1-0 victory in Borisov

Conor McMenamin's first-half goal proved to be the difference as Northern Ireland made it three wins from three in their UEFA Nations League group with a 1-0 victory in Belarus.

The Glentoran winger fired home from close range in the 34th minute to give Baraclough's men a deserved lead at the Borisov Arena. Беларуси, on the other hand, offered little going forward and rarely threatened the Northern Ireland goal. The visitors could have extended their lead in the second half, but Josh Magennis and Gavin Whyte both missed good chances. However, one goal proved to be enough as Northern Ireland held on to claim a hard-fought victory. The win moves Northern Ireland top of League C Group 2, three points ahead of Belarus, who drop to third.

What does the result mean?

The result means that Northern Ireland are now in a strong position to win their UEFA Nations League group. They will be confident of beating Kosovo at home in their next match, which would take them to nine points from four games. Belarus, meanwhile, will need to beat Lithuania away in their next match to keep their hopes of winning the group alive.