Northern Ireland vs San Marino. FIFA World Cup European Qualifying Group C.
Windsor Park.
Saturday 8 October 2016 23:10, UK
Northern Ireland marked the opening of the newly-revamped Windsor Park with a comfortable 4-0 win over San Marino on Saturday evening.
Steven Davis dispatched his penalty after Josh Magennis had been bundled to the ground by two defenders and substitute Kyle Lafferty grabbed a brace, before his assist helped Jamie Ward smash in a third.
Mirko Palazzi was shown two yellow cards either side of the break for needless challenges to make life harder for the minnows as Northern Ireland went third on four points in Group C.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino officially opened the new national stadium and it was rocking well before the kick-off, as the home crowd belted out Neil Diamond's 1969 hit 'Sweet Caroline' to welcome the sides onto the field. The likes of world champion boxer Carl Frampton and golf superstar Rory McIlroy performed a 'lap of legends' to the 18,234 fans in attendance.
The theme of the game became abundantly clear from the first whistle, as Northern Ireland took the game to the lowly visitors - ranked 201 in the FIFA rankings.
Shane Ferguson and Jamie Ward were in their element on either wing, as time and time again, they delivered telling balls into the box, but their endeavour went unrewarded with striker Josh Magennis unable to get on the end of some excellent crosses.
Southampton midfielder Davis was industrious, linking the play together and the breakthrough finally came when Magennis was blatantly fouled, leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.
Up stepped Davis and although Aldo Simoncini guessed the right way, he was unable to prevent it from going into the bottom corner.
While the task at hand seemed difficult to say the least in the first half, it would become pretty much impossible for San Marino in the second, when, after Michael McGovern had gathered in a high ball and looked to release Stuart Dallas, he was needlessly impended by Palazzi.
The San Marino No 7, who had already been booked for a reckless tackle on Niall McGinn in the first half, was soon sent packing.
With one eye possibly on the huge game against world champions Germany on Tuesday in mind, O'Neill - who had left talisman Lafferty on the bench - turned to the Norwich striker to put the game out of sight.
Minutes after his introduction, he duly grabbed a goal. Exchanging passes with Davis, he fed Ferguson out on the left and his wicked cross found Lafferty's clever run into the box and he tucked the ball home.
Ward smashed in the third after Lafferty had flicked on the cross from Shane Ferguson and excellent footwork from man-of-the-match Davis ended with his flicked pass being smashed home for Lafferty to grab his second with virtually the last kick of the game.
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