Isaac Price scored three goals to lead Northern Ireland to an impressive 5-0 victory over Bulgaria, propelling them to the top of their Nations League group.
After dominating Belarus in the first half of their goalless draw on Saturday, Northern Ireland vented their frustrations on Bulgaria with Price becoming the first player from Northern Ireland to score a hat-trick since David Healy in a 4-1 victory over Liechtenstein in March 2007.
Price scored the first two goals, followed by Brodie Spencer's shot hitting the post and deflecting off Bulgaria goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov to make it 3-0 by halftime.
Price completed his hat-trick with a brilliant goal, a rising shot from the edge of the box, and then Josh Magennis added a late fifth goal after coming off the bench.
The last time Northern Ireland won a home match 5-0 was when George Best scored a hat-trick against Cyprus in April 1971.
With Belarus and Luxembourg drawing 1-1 in Hungary, Northern Ireland currently lead the League C Group 3 by one point before facing those two teams in their final matches next month.
Bulgaria came into the match unbeaten in nine games under manager Ilian Iliev, including a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in Plovdiv last month, but their streak came to an end as Michael O’Neill’s side secured their fourth win in their last five matches at Windsor Park.
O’Neill made changes to his starting lineup, bringing in Ali McCann, Dion Charles, and Spencer to lower the average age of the team to just 22 years and seven months, a move that proved successful as the young players shined.
Charles played a key role in setting up the first goal for Price after only 15 minutes, showcasing his skills and determination. Spencer and Charles then combined for the second goal, which Price scored through a deflection.
The atmosphere at Windsor Park was electric as Spencer's shot rebounded off the post and into the net to make it 3-0, delighting the home crowd.