Northern Ireland were left frustrated in a 0-0 draw at home to Hungary who looked to be there for the taking.
Patrick Kelly twice went close in the first half and Isaac Price was denied by Balazs Toth late on, but Northern Ireland could not find the goal that would have made a perfect start to their Nations League Group B2 campaign.
They looked the better side against higher-ranked opposition who struggled to create chances until the closing stages on a night when Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai’s most notable contribution was to get the Windsor Park crowd going.
There were nervous moments in the closing stages as Ruairi McConville made a key block from Willi Orban and Pierce Charles saved from Alex Toth to keep his fifth clean sheet in seven competitive appearances for Northern Ireland.
It means Michael O’Neill’s side have lost just one of their last 10 games in Belfast, and they looked determined again with Hungary managing just one shot on target.
The biggest disappointment for O’Neill will be the number of yellow cards shown by referee Ricardo De Burgos, with four Northern Ireland players – Shea Charles, Jamie Donley, Isaac Price and Ethan Galbraith – included in the book along with the manager himself.
Coming off the back of Friday’s 1-0 win in Tbilisi and enjoying the roar of a home crowd at Windsor Park for the first time in 315 days, Northern Ireland were quick to press Hungary hard, picking up quick passes from the away defence.
This led to chances for Galbraith and Price taking over early on before Trai Hume sent a shot from the edge of the area just wide.
Northern Ireland’s two best chances of the first half came for Kelly. Just after half an hour, Price slipped and the Barnsley midfielder tried to beat Blackburn’s Balazs Toth but couldn’t get enough height in the open goal shot.
Tom Atcheson then volleyed Ciaron Brown long, and although Shea Charles couldn’t get to the ball as he tussled with Milos Kerkez, it fell to an off-balance Kelly who turned it over the bar.
Hungary were not enjoying Northern Ireland’s physical approach as they struggled to threaten and tempers began to deteriorate.
After Donley became the third home player to be booked, O’Neill also saw yellow for his protests and the half ended in a confrontation as Charles left Daniel Lukacs in a huddle challenging for a high ball.
Hungary started to go further after the break. Schafer sent a shot wide of the box, then missed the target from long range after a short free-kick before Donat Barany headed home from the corner.
Northern Ireland were struggling to go forward just as they had in the first half, but from a free-kick in the box, Price got away from Kerkez before seeing his shot saved at the near post.
At the other end, McConville pounced on Orban’s close-range shot and Charles parried a powerful shot from Bournemouth’s Alex Toth as time ticked on.