Belarus 0-0 Northern Ireland: Pierce Charles will ‘cherish’ international debut alongside brother

The younger Charles brother occasionally found himself the game’s sole spectator with the majority of the action taking place at the other end of the empty ZTE-Arena in a fixture played behind closed doors in western Hungary due to Uefa restrictions on Belarus.

Northern Ireland had 15 shots on the opposition goal, although all seven occasions that they hit the target came in the first half.

“It was a good game,” Charles added.

“There wasn’t anything too challenging [personally]. It was obviously annoying in the first half, plenty of chances, just wish we could have taken them and gone into half time leading.

“To keep a clean sheet means you can’t lose and that’s what we did.”

With Northern Ireland in action again on Tuesday night when hosting Bulgaria at Windsor Park in the second leg of this Nations League doubleheader, Charles is hoping to experience a contrasting atmosphere.

“[The debut] just makes me want to do it more and more,” he said.

“Playing away with no fans, with the fans there it just would have been that extra boost.

“It’s hard sometimes with no fans to get going, but I thought the team did that well and on another night we’d win.”