While Ittai Sopher performed well consistently throughout the first two rounds, he was given a major competition by the close second in lead

Michael O’Neill could point to individual and collective mistakes after Northern Ireland lost 4-0 to Finland in their penultimate Euro 2024 qualifier but the inexperience of his young squad played a major role in Helsinki. Northern Ireland played well for much of the first half but fell behind to Joel Pohjanpalo’s penalty just before the break, and Daniel Hakans then doubled the lead three minutes into the second half before substitutes Teemu Pukki and Robin Lod added to the score late on. Ross McCausland made his debut from the start only days after being drafted in as injury cover on Monday, and there was also a late debut for Michael Forbes with O’Neill trying to make up for the raft of missing players. But it was a sadly familiar story as O’Neill’s men were unable to capitalise on early chances before being punished at the other end. “We played very well for 40 minutes in the game I thought,” O’Neill said. “We had a plan to make ourselves difficult to beat and to contain Finland and we did it very well, I can’t remember them having any opportunities in that period… “We created one or two half chances we could have done better with. Then the penalty, for all the work you do in the first 40 minutes you end up going in 1-0 down at half-time because of a penalty.” Isaac Price clipped Nikolai Alho on the edge of the box before Pohjanpalo sent Conor Hazard the wrong way. “Probably it’s a challenge he’s better off not attempting,” O’Neill said. “There’s not a lot of contact but there’s enough. The player wasn’t really in a position to shoot, we could possibly have been able to block the shot… “I was really pleased with the first 40 minutes but obviously by 48 minutes you’re in a really difficult position.” Hakans’ strike was in many ways the killer blow, coming so early in the second half. The Valerenga winger skipped through four challenges before exchanging passes with Glen Kamara, beating Hazard at his near post. O’Neill was disappointed with his stand-in goalkeeper, but also accepted more experienced players might have stopped the run by fair means or foul much further from goal. “It’s a shot that I would not expect to beat my goalkeeper at the near post,” O’Neill said. “You have to recognise the danger and there’s points in the game where maybe you have to make a technical foul as they call it and we didn’t do that. I felt probably that was something that if I was to be critical of, we didn’t win enough of those types of challenges through the 90 minutes.” When Finland then introduced Pukki off the bench, with the former Norwich striker scoring the third and creating the fourth, the game quickly went away from Northern Ireland. “That has been the big difference, the attacking players some of the opposition have had and we saw that tonight with goals three and four,” O’Neill said. “We’ve got a group of players where a lot of them are new to international football. This is their first campaign. They’re coming into games and the games are going away from them. As a manager I have to support them and back them. “They have to learn on the job and they’re having to learn quickly.” The good news is that this miserable qualifying campaign is almost over, with only Monday’s match at home to Denmark remaining. “When you come out of a defeat you look at the game from a tactical point of view and a performance point of view but what’s most important as a staff and a coach and a group of players is that people don’t question your character or mentality,” O’Neill said. “That’s what we have to show again on Monday night.” Read More Finland put Northern Ireland to the sword in Helsinki Trent Alexander-Arnold receiving the keys to England’s midfield suggests one thing England labour to win over Malta in front of bored Wembley crowd Finland put Northern Ireland to the sword in Helsinki Jarell Quansah keen to become ‘top centre-back’ after Liverpool breakthrough On this day in 2004: John Toshack becomes Wales boss on five-year deal

By Yew Lun Tian and Laurie Chen BEIJING (Reuters) -China named veteran diplomat Wang Yi its new foreign minister on

The UK is weighing options to blunt the cost of post-Brexit border checks on European food imports due

Tommy Fury branded fighting KSI 'easy money' as the boxer attended the YouTuber's fight against Joe Fournier over the weekend. Fury was asked whether he would take on KSI in the ring for a fight that's high in demand, prompting laughter. “In my opinion, out of all this influencer boxing stuff, I beat the top of the chain", he said. "Jake Paul, I reckon, is the best out of all these. Listen, it is what it is: Easy money, baby.” Click here to sign up for our newsletters

Rep. Steve Scalise has returned to the U.S. Capitol for the first time since being diagnosed with a blood cancer known as multiple myeloma

By Ariba Shahid KARACHI, Pakistan Fuel pump operators across Pakistan are to hold a nationwide strike on July

Cole Palmer believes his impatience is paying off having flourished for Chelsea and earned a first England call-up since leaving all-conquering Manchester City in search of regular football. Part of Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning squad before helping his country win the Under-21 European Championship, a more prominent role at club level looked on the cards this term. Palmer scored in the Community Shield and another in the Super Cup, but made no secret about his desire for regular action after his man-of-the-match display against Sevilla in the European curtain-raiser. It proved his final City appearance and a fortnight later the forward joined the glut of gems being collected by free-spending Chelsea in a deal worth up to £42.5million, signing a seven-year deal. “It happened fast, to be fair,” Palmer said. “I spoke to someone at Chelsea and I was speaking to my dad, but I really didn’t know what to do. “I was just thinking about it for a couple of days, like near enough every minute of the day. “But then I just thought for my career and stuff I have to go and try and get regular game time. “It was a big move for me. I’d never been out of Manchester, not even on loan or anything like that, so to move down there on my own was a big thing. “When I first went down there it was difficult, like staying in a hotel and stuff, but now I have settled in more and I’m enjoying it.” This season always felt important in promising Palmer’s career, especially after a combination of injury and competition restricted him to just seven starts last year. The 21-year-old has already made eight in an impressive beginning to life with the Blues, leading to a first England call-up following some withdrawals from the initial selection for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers. “Obviously you know how good of a manager Pep is and he gave me the opportunity and the platform to kick-start my career, so I’ll always be grateful to him,” Palmer said. “Who knows what would have happened if I had stayed. “Maybe I would have played more, maybe not. But I think the decision that I made to go to Chelsea so far is paying off.” Palmer gave short shrift to a question asking him to compare Guardiola with Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino when he faced the media for the first time since his England call-up. But he was more forthcoming when it came to his current manager’s ability to develop English talents, as he did with aplomb at Southampton and Tottenham. “A lot of people told me how he is with young players,” Palmer said. “Ever since I went to Chelsea I can see it, so I’m enjoying working with him and excited to carry on working with him. “He has given me the confidence and licence to go where I want on the pitch, where I feel I can use my strengths, so I’m grateful for it.” Palmer certainly does not lack confidence, which was abundantly clear along with his cheeky side in Sunday’s stunning 4-4 draw with City. Footage went viral of the Chelsea forward pretending to listen to his former team-mates on an afternoon when he celebrated his stoppage-time spot-kick equaliser with a nonchalant shrug. “When I saw the ref give the penalty, I just thought ‘it’s my time’,” Palmer said. “I spoke to Raz (Raheem Sterling). He said ‘what’s happening?’ and I was like ‘I want to take it’. “He was like ‘fine’ and then when I put the ball down I just tried to focus on a spot and put it there.” Asked if he felt pressure or nerves, he said: “Not really, to be honest. “I felt I was waiting for a while and obviously I did think about my old club and stuff but after that not really. “It was a crazy game. I did feel a bit nervous before and a bit weird to see everyone from the club I’ve been at for 15 years. “But when the game started it felt normal and it was a good game.” More positive news awaited him when he waded through the myriad of messages on his phone after returning to the Stamford Bridge dressing room. “I got the message near enough straightaway after the match,” he said of his maiden England call-up. “But my phone was going crazy because I have got some City fans that are my mates and family and all that. “I read it and then like I read it again, so it was confirmed. “I just rang my dad straight away and he was with my mum, so I told them first.” Read More Manchester City acknowledge risk of charges after posting record £712m revenue Jannik Sinner scores first career win against Novak Djokovic in Turin Emma Hayes: Winning Champions League would be fairytale end to time at Chelsea Winter sun will have to wait for Ezri Konsa as he looks to take England chance Incoming Welsh Rugby Union boss vows to ‘turn this round’ after damning review Fin Smith targets England debut next year having caught Steve Borthwick’s eye

Provides an overview of Cambodia, including key dates and facts about this South East Asian nation.

Rookie Bobby Miller tossed six innings of one-run ball and the Los Angeles Dodgers won their ninth straight game, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 on Tuesday night in a matchup of NL division leaders

Despite being hurt for the majority of the 2023 MLB season, Dodgers' star player Will Smith has helped them make it to the playoffs and win their division, despite many projecting them to fail.

'They kept bees for a while. They got honey for a couple of years while they were married,' said Samuel Jackson