UEFA Nations League: Northern Ireland avoid relegation after Belarus defeat

Northern Ireland secured their UEFA Nations League status with a narrow 2-1 victory over Belarus on Tuesday night

The home side needed at least a draw to avoid relegation to League C, and they got the result they needed thanks to goals from Conor Washington and Shayne Lavery.

Belarus took the lead through Vitali Lisakovich, but Washington equalized just before half-time.

Lavery then netted the winner in the second half to secure the points for Northern Ireland.

The result means that Northern Ireland finish third in League B Group 3, with Belarus finishing bottom and relegated to League C.

Northern Ireland will now compete in League B again in the next edition of the UEFA Nations League, while Belarus will drop down to League C.

The UEFA Nations League is a new competition for European national teams, and it was first played in 2018.

The competition is divided into four leagues, with the top-ranked teams in each league competing for promotion to the next league, while the bottom-ranked teams are relegated to the lower league.

The UEFA Nations League has been praised for providing competitive matches for all European national teams, regardless of their ranking.

The competition has also been credited with helping to develop young players and providing a platform for them to showcase their talents.