Michael ONeills Northern Ireland face a vital home clash with Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifying on Friday, live on Sky Sports 1. ONeills side, who have four points from their first three games, are three points behind Azerbaijan, who have started Group C with two wins and a draw.If Northern Ireland can win at Windsor Park, they will leapfrog Azerbaijan into second place, behind leaders Germany, who face San Marino on Friday. Northern Ireland are on their best home run for 32 years, having won their last five games at Windsor Park. Northern Ireland manager Michael ONeill needs a vital win against Azerbaijan Team newsONeill has suffered the loss of Jamie Ward and Stuart Dallas through injury for both this and next Tuesdays friendly clash against Croatia.QPR striker Conor Washington is a doubt with a groin strain, having sat out of Thursdays training session at Windsor Park. Extraordinary scenes outside Northern Irelands team hotel on Wednesday when a car is believed to have developed a technical fault and went on fire Ross County striker Liam Boyce was added to Northern Ireland squad late on Thursday evening, with Wigan striker Will Grigg also hoping for action in Belfast.Midfielder Chris Brunt is back in the side for the first time in 13 months following his injury for West Brom last season. Chris Brunt returns for Northern Ireland after 13 months out of the side A serious knee injury ended Brunts season back in February and denied him a spot in the Euro 2016 squad when the 31-year-old utility man may have otherwise been considering a swansong in France.Opta factsThis will be the fifth meeting on the international stage between these two nations, with both Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan winning once each (D2).Indeed, the side playing at home has never lost in the four previous contests (W2 D2). Northern Ireland lost in Germany last time out Northern Irelands only previous victory against Azerbaijan came back in September 2005, courtesy of goals from Stuart Elliot and Warren Feeney.ONeills side have failed to score in six of their last eight matches, netting four vs San Marino and two vs Ukraine.However, the Green Army have won seven and lost none of their last nine fixtures on home soil. Northern Ireland host Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifying live on Sky Sports Azerbaijan are one of four sides yet to concede a goal in European World Cup 2018 qualifiers (also England, Germany and Belgium).Charlies predictionI think this will be an awkward one. Everyone anticipates that theyll win these sort of games comfortably because they did well in the Euros. Results will come their way but they still have to work their socks off.Kyle Lafferty gets all the credit but Steve Davis is their star player by a mile. Hes the one that dominates game and have the energy and craft that makes Northern Ireland tick.These are awkward and sit in and frustrate, successfully so given theyve recorded three successive clean sheet, so Im going for Gareth McAuley, whose scoring record is brilliant, to see them get the win.Charlie predicts: 1-0 and McAuley to score first (25/1 with Sky Bet) Get a Sky Sports Pass Dont miss Northern Ireland v Azerbaijan. Watch live on NOW TV for ￡6.99. No contract. Cheap Cecil Cooper Jersey . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Cheap Brewers Jerseys Authentic . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. http://www.cheapbrewersjerseys.com/ . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. Cheap MLB Jerseys . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. Cheap Paul Molitor Jersey . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has missed the past 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races. The one Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway was by far the most difficult one for him to watch.Earnhardt, the defending winner of the PIR fall race, watched as his substitute driver, Alex Bowman, led a race-high 194 laps only to finish sixth after a wreck battling Matt Kenseth for the lead on a restart with two laps remaining.Watching Bowman vie for the win reminded Earnhardt of how nervous he would get watching his father, a seven-time Cup champion, battle for victories. Not only was Bowman going for the win but he was in the difficult position of having to race drivers who also were attempting to advance to the championship round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.This whole day has been about damn miserable watching that race, Earnhardt said on The Dale Jr. Download podcast released Monday and produced by his JR Motorsports team. Golly. I dont know how fans do it.For the longest time, I havent felt that way since watching Dad race. I remember it so clear now, all the nerves and sick feeling in your stomach, even halfway into the race.Earnhardt hopes to return to racing next year as he continues to rehabiliitate from a concussion suffered in June at Michigan.ddddddddddddm so happy because our cars are so good, Earnhardt said. Im going to get into that thing next year and its going to be as good or better than when I got out of it.I feel like a very lucky guy in that regard. ... Man, Im really looking forward to getting back on the track, cutting some laps and just being a driver. I miss it, especially as I am getting more and more healthy and more confident in my health. I miss it more and more.When he returns, Earnhardt said he hopes he doesnt lose the perspective he has gained from his extended absence.It was hard being a fan, Earnhardt said about the race Sunday. I really got a new appreciation for what thats like. I had forgotten. I got caught up in what Ive been doing the last several years and had forgotten what that was like.Im seeing so many new perspectives, a lot of them unintentionally, which change the way I see everything about it. It will be a little bit different when I get back in the car, and I will try not to forget what I learned. ' ' '