Ultimately the margins in Group A came down to Slovakia beating Germany at home while Northern Ireland were beaten twice by the four-time World Cup winners.
Indeed, while it matters little in terms of the final table, Northern Ireland were much more convincing in their 2-0 victory over Slovakia at Windsor Park last month than their hosts were in Kosice on Friday night.
After Tomas Bobcek’s stoppage-time winner, frustrations appeared to boil over with words exchanged between the two sets of players following the final whistle, while O’Neill said opposing manager Francesco Calzona did not shake his hand after the game.
“It was disappointing, really. I think when we beat them in Belfast, I think we had a bit more class about us after the game,” Bradley said.
“They were sort of giving it a bit more. It’s disappointing but I’m sure we’ll see them again.”
Midfielder Isaac Price was equally unimpressed with Slovakia’s response to the win which kept alive their hopes of qualifying not just for the play-offs but automatically at the expense of Germany for the tournament in North America next summer.
“I think some of their players had a lot to say especially ones that didn’t play,” said the West Bromwich Albion player. “I think if you’re playing in the game and you want to have a pop then that’s fine, but if you’re a third choice goalkeeper and you’re not playing, I think just be quiet.
“They had a few words to say. They looked overly excited but that’s a compliment to us. I think they took that as a really big result and it is a big result for them.
“I think we were far better than them at home. They wanted revenge and ultimately they got it.”
Discover more from 6up.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.