Paddy McNair and Daniel Ballard on target as Northern Ireland beat Luxembourg

Early strikes from Paddy McNair and Daniel Ballard gave Northern Ireland a 2-0 win over Luxembourg as they got their latest Nations League campaign off to a winning start.

With both goals coming inside the opening 17 minutes, the only disappointment was that Michael O'Neill's side did not add to their tally as they dominated their first game at Windsor Park in 10 months.

It was only a second win in 17 attempts for Northern Ireland in the short history of this competition, but they build on the momentum of recent improved performances as they look to climb out of League C.

Northern Ireland wasted no time in asserting themselves, with Shea Charles threatening after just 70 seconds from a corner.

Dion Charles then hit a powerful shot over the bar after Luxembourg failed to clear a free-kick, and Northern Ireland's early pressure paid off when they took the lead on 11 minutes.

Ciarron Brown fired a long shot from the right, Ballard fought for a shot at the near post and the ball found its way to McNair near the penalty spot to send a shot into the left corner of the net for the North's seventh. Ireland's goal on the night of his 70th cap.

Having taken an early lead, O'Neill's men were not going to sit back. Bradley won a scrap with Dirk Karlsson for the ball on the right and went down right on the edge of the box.

George Saville struck the free-kick low to the near post, with Ballard reaching to turn the ball in for his first goal at Windsor Park.

Moments before the break, Northern Ireland seriously threatened again, but it was no surprise that it was the excellent Bradley who got into the box before Christopher Martins cleared the ball for a corner as the Liverpool man prepared to shoot.

From the resulting corner, the ball went to the night's captain, Tray Hume, on the edge of the box, but his shot from distance went narrowly wide. Either way, the whistle had already been blown for a foul on Ballard's rally, which went into the book.

O'Neill freshened up the front line at the break with Josh Magennis winning his 80th cap, replacing Dion Charles, and seconds after the restart they were back on the attack with Isaac Price volleying just wide of Hume's cross.

After Luxembourg clumsily conceded possession, Price's low cross was just in front of Magennis, who you'd expect to slide in at the far post. Moments later, Hume won a shot from outside the edge of the box.

O'Neill then turned to Jamal Lewis, who only flew into Belfast on Wednesday after traveling to Brazil to seal his loan move from Newcastle to Sao Paulo, with the 26-year-old replacing Callum Marshall.

Bradley had a great chance to add a third in the 66th minute after breaking the offside trap to latch on to Hume's forward pass, but when he was cleared by the goal, he dragged his shot wide.

At the other end, Bailey Peacock-Farrell saved Gerson Rodrigues' header near the post from Mathias Olesen's corner.

This was a rare moment of concern at the back, but there was another self-injury in the 77th minute when Peacock-Farrell and McNair collided for the same ball on the edge of the box, thankful to see Olesen shoot wide. goal.

But the night ended with Northern Ireland on top, substitute Ross McCausland denied a first international goal in stoppage time as Luxembourg keeper Anthony Moris pushed his shot wide.