Despite the noise of the game, Northern Ireland left Croatia with a 1-1 draw following an injury-time own goal from Izabela Lojna, who also scored an early penalty for the hosts.
Reflecting on the match, Oxtoby said she was “positive” about the performance and was confident her team could progress to the final round of the play-offs.
If Northern Ireland triumph in Belfast on Tuesday, they will most likely face Norway in the Euro 2025 final in Switzerland at the end of the summer.
The hosts are bolstered by the return of midfielder Joely Andrews, who missed the first leg through injury, while defender Rachel Dugdale will next be assessed after suffering a knock in Croatia.
Linfield defender Abi Sweetlove, 18, has been included in Oxtoby’s squad as a reserve.
“I thought we dominated the ball and created a lot of chances,” said Oxtoby, who added that he has “selection headaches” for the second leg.
“We need to be a bit more clinical, which are some of the things we’ve been discussing, but, apart from that penalty, I don’t think you can ask for much more.
“We want to make sure we convert that dominance on the ball in the final third into goals.”
When asked what would make the difference in producing a winning performance over 90 minutes, Oxtoby said patience will be the key.
“If things don’t move forward in the first 20 or 25 minutes, the closest thing is to have the boldness and patience in what you’re trying to do, that it will happen.
“I’ve seen a lot of maturity in the group in that area. They have the patience to try and try different things, and our principles of play have been really positive.
“It’s another option to do this and I’m very excited to see how they move forward.”
