Dion Charles played the first half as Northern Ireland kicked off the Nations League campaign with a 2-0 win against Luxembourg.

The Wanderers forward had a half chance, sending a strike over the bar after the visitors had failed to deal with a set-piece.

Luke Southwood was an unused substitute, with Birmingham man Bailey Peacock-Farrell playing the full 90 minutes between the sticks.

Eoin Toal was absent from the squad. The defender missed Wanderers’ clash with Exeter last weekend after suffering a muscle tear in training.

Paddy McNair and Dan Ballard both got on the scoresheet in the first half as Michael O’Neill’s side made a winning start.

Northern Ireland have now won four of their last six matches – a run stretching back to last November.

After the final whistle, O’Neill was full of praise for former Bolton loanee Conor Bradley, who delivered another impressive display.

“He’s just turned 21, he’s a terrific player and the attributes are there for everyone to see,” said the manager.

“Conor will go to a very, very high level in the game. It’s game time that he needs and he’s at a club where that’s not easy to get, but when he comes here he embraces it.”

O’Neill added: “I think we have momentum and confidence is growing. A lot of these lads came into international football and didn’t win many games at the outset, but now they have that winning feeling.

“Especially (at Windsor Park), it is always nice to come back and play here. You see what it means to them in the dressing room.

“I said to them that many of them will have long international careers, so it is nice to win.

“There are always periods where you play for Northern Ireland during difficult times and you don’t win - the best players have always had to do that - so it is nice they are winning international games so early in their careers.”