Simone Magill hit the winning goal as Northern Ireland took a huge step towards the Women's Euro 2022 finals with a 2-1 first-leg playoff victory over Ukraine.
Rachel Furness gave Kenny Shiels' side the lead inside five minutes before Daryna Apanaschenko brought the hosts level in Kovalivka.
However, Everton striker Magill restored the visitors' advantage 12 minutes after the restart with a clinical finish.
It was an excellent victory for Northern Ireland, who are competing in their first play-off for a major tournament after finishing second behind Norway in qualifying.
The second leg takes place at Seaview in Belfast on Tuesday.
Magill said: "The ball came over the top and I just fancied my chances. It fell to me at the right angle, I hit it with my left foot and fortunately, it went in. It was a great moment for us because we knew how important it was to get a result and get those away goals.
“It’s a result that shows the character in the group. We really had to dig deep for this result. It’s not just about the 11 players on the pitch, it’s about everybody in the squad, and we really dug deep to get that result tonight.
“We have been underdogs our whole lives. We have got this far being an underdog, but we love a challenge. We will be confident going into Tuesday. There’s still a long way to go, a big 90 minutes ahead of us, and we’re going to give absolutely everything to get us over the line.”
🙌 Hear from goalscorer @SimoneMagill after tonight's big win 💚 #GAWA #ANewDream pic.twitter.com/mlea2UcAt3
— Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland) April 9, 2021
Elsewhere, Jill Scott and Valerie Gauvin went head-to-head as France got the better of England with a 3-1 friendly triumph in Caen.
Scott, currently on loan with Everton from Manchester City, played 73 minutes before being replaced by Jordan Nobbs, while Blues striker Gauvin featured for an hour for the home side.
Sandy MacIver was an unused substitute for England, who netted through Fran Kirby's penalty 11 minutes from time.
