Romania 1-1 Northern Ireland: Whyte rescues late draw in Baraclough's first game

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Bucharest, September: Substitute Gavin Whyte scored late on to earn 10-man Northern Ireland a 1-1 Nations League draw against Romania in Ian Baraclough's first game in charge.

Baraclough officially took over as head coach in June after Michael O'Neill stepped aside and his tenure got off to a dramatic start at the National Arena on Friday.

George Puscas put Romania in front after 25 minutes and Josh Magennis was dismissed shortly before half-time to make the visitors' task all the more difficult.

But a string of impressive saves from Bailey Peacock-Farrell kept Northern Ireland in the game and Whyte headed in four minutes from time to earn his side a point in their Group B1 opener.

The home team had lost back-to-back matches without scoring heading into this contest but took the lead through Puscas' close-range finish.

Peacock-Farrell parried a long-range Nicolae Stanciu drive into the path of Vlad Chiriches, who squared to Reading striker Puscas to steer home from three yards.

Northern Ireland's hopes of making a winning start under Baraclough were further dented when Magennis, earlier booked for a wayward arm on Alin Tosca, was dismissed for a similar incident involving Alexandru Maxim.

Romania squandered numerous chances to double their tally, with Peacock-Farrell brilliantly denying Denis Alibec and Stanciu.

Peacock-Farrell was also equal to a couple of good efforts from Puscas, while Stanciu blasted over from a promising position for a Romania side also playing under a new head coach – Mirel Radoi – for the first time.

And those missed chances proved costly as Kyle Lafferty helped on a free-kick towards the back post, where Whyte sneaked in to head past Ciprian Tatarusanu.

Inspired keeper Peacock-Farrell was called upon again in the closing stages to tip Alibec's shot onto the crossbar and keep out another Puscas effort as the Irish snatched a point.