Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill has revealed that he was elated to sign off the calendar year with a victory in his side's friendly clash against Latvia.
O'Neill's men secured a 1-0 win in their match at Windsor Park as Steven Davis scored the only goal of the game to continue the team's good run of form after securing their place at Euro 2016 last month.
"This is the last time we will see each other as a group until March. The main thing was to win the game and get a level of performance," O'Neill told Sky Sports News.
"We have had a great year with some great results, and a great campaign. We should celebrate the achievements of the team. That's eight games unbeaten now and a clean sheet was good as well. So it was all positive.
"We are looking forward to the tournament now. The players have to recognise what has got them here to this point, and the work rate and energy they have put in, and the belief and confidence they have as a team. It was important we maintained that and didn't let our performance dip. The players took that on board."
Northern Ireland qualified for a major tournament for the first time in 30 years after sealing their place at the European Championships next year.
Simon Sinclair
