Gareth McAuley upbeat despite Northern Ireland loss

Gareth McAuley has insisted that Northern Ireland still have a great chance of reaching Euro 2016 following their defeat to Romania.

The Irish suffered their first loss in Group F on Friday night as they were beaten 2-0 in Bucharest.

However, after enjoying a strong start to their campaign, McAuley and his teammates remain just one point behind leaders Romania in the standings.

"A lot of the lads in the dressing room have been going away form home for years and not picked up anything," he told Sky Sports News. "We've played probably three of the best teams in the group away from home so far and we've picked up nine points from our four games. When you look at the bigger picture it's a great achievement and still a great platform."

Northern Ireland continue their qualifying campaign in March when they host Finland.