Arkadiusz Milik' s goal in the 51st minute helped Poland to edge freshman Northern Ireland 1-0 in the UEFA EURO 2016 Group C here on Sunday.

"It's just the beginning, the next matches will show that we can play even better," said midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak.

Poland dominated the match but wasted many times to score under the tight defense of Northern Ireland in the first half.

Lewandowski, Poland' s top star, scored 13 in the Euro 2016 qualifier, was besieged by defenders of Northern Ireland when he touched the ball and had no chance to score.

"The team has realized that we won't win as individuals but we can achieve something as 23 players in a squad," Krychowiak said. "Every player thinks in a collective way."

Milik, a forward played for Ajax Amsterdam, held the opportunity to score after collecting Blaszczykowski's pass from the right.

Poland's win was its first ever at a European Championship following two disappointing displays in the last two tournaments.

Northern Ireland' s passing completion rate was much too low, and had very few opportunities to score.

 

source : xinhua