# Northern Ireland's late winner baffles O'Neill

> Northern Ireland's 99th-minute winner against Georgia leaves manager Michael O'Neill frustrated by refereeing decisions.
- Title: Northern Ireland's late winner baffles O'Neill · BBC Sport
- Summary: Northern Ireland's 99th-minute winner against Georgia leaves manager Michael O'Neill frustrated by refereeing decisions. Northern Ireland won 1-0 in Georgia…
- Keywords: northern ireland, georgia, michael o'neill, nations league, shea charles, khvicha kvaratskhelia, pierce charles, orel grinfeeld, ceadach o'neill, daniel ballard, nfl, sports
- Source: BBC Sport — https://bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c6qxvvw15p0lo
- Published: 2026-09-25T19:54:46.748+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: northern ireland, georgia, michael o'neill, nations league, shea charles, khvicha kvaratskhelia, pierce charles, orel grinfeeld, ceadach o'neill, daniel ballard, nfl, sports
## Refereeing confusion
Michael O'Neill called refereeing decisions 'baffling' after Northern Ireland's 99th-minute winner against Georgia.

> I was really disappointed in that side of things with how the game was refereed.
## Late winner
Shea Charles scored the 99th-minute winner in Tbilisi as Northern Ireland secured their first-ever away win in the Nations League.
## Penalty miss
Georgia captain Khvicha Kvaratskhelia missed a penalty after Pierce Charles saved it in the 88th minute.
## Injury concern
Northern Ireland defender Daniel Ballard injured his hamstring after a foul on substitute Ceadach O'Neill.
## Manager's frustration
O'Neill criticized the referee for not awarding a free-kick after Ceadach O'Neill was fouled.
## Key takeaway

Northern Ireland won 1-0 in Georgia after a controversial penalty miss by Georgia's captain.