Hi °C | Lo °C That's more like it. Yes, it was only San Marino, who must be the worst national side to ever play at Windsor Park, but a victory against awful opposition beats a frustrating defeat any day of the week.
Northern Ireland have already had enough of those in this World Cup qualifying campaign.
The disappointments of Slovakia and Slovenia are still fresh in the memory because those losses are likely to cost us a dream trip to South Africa in the summer of 2010.
But let’s be grateful for small mercies.
Last night’s comfortable win was the first in the World Cup since a certain match against England three years ago.
It obviously brought nothing like the joy of that the famous victory over Sven, Becks, Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard and the rest.
It was important though nevertheless.
Anything other than a convincing victory over San Marino and the depression amongst the Green and White Army would have been too much to bear.
After all, if you aren’t going to beat a bunch of students, a few accountants and a guy who runs a gym, who are you going to beat?
Mind you, in the first 30 minutes I’m sure a few supporters were starting to ask that.
Northern Ireland were flat and lacking in confidence.
They desperately needed a goal.
And who do you look to for that?
Stand up David Healy.
The Killyleagh man will tell you himself he has not been at his sharpest in recent internationals, but those doubting his ability to continue to score for Northern Ireland were living in cloud cuckoo land.
Give Healy opportunities and he will put them in the net. Simple as that.
Thankfully, George McCartney and Grant McCann, dovetailing gracefully down the left, provided him with the chance and the Sunderland striker took it.
Healy’s right foot shot wasn’t the sweetest he has ever struck at Windsor and it may have taken a slight deflection or two before going in in slow motion, but they all count. And it took his tally to a stunning 35 goals in 69 internationals.
So much for his goal drought - all four games of it!
You could sense the relief in the stadium and the joy of the supporters for Healy, who is the biggest crowd favourite in these parts since Georgie Best.
McCartney’s part in the goal should not be underestimated. It was a brilliant driving run from the full-back, who continued rampaging down the flank all night.
For me, McCartney was Northern Ireland’s best player.
Another who had an impressive outing was McCann and his performance was rewarded with a splendid strike just before the break – smashing home from just inside the box after Healy had provided a clever assist.
It was McCann’s first goal at Windsor and having spent many an afternoon watching Linfield at this ground as a kid, when the ball hit the net it was a wonderful moment for the Sandy Row man.
After that second goal, it was a case of how many after the break, especially with a clown like Federico Valentini between the sticks for San Marino.
A horrendous mistake by the visiting number one led to Kyle Lafferty tapping in although to be fair to Valentini he could do nothing about a sumptuous flick from Steve Davis to make it four.
By the end it could have been twice as many with Mauro Marani sent off for San Marino in the second period, but hey, we’ll take 4-0.
That scoreline broke our previous best in a World Cup qualifier and I would like to think there will be a similar outcome in San Marino next February.
We’ll need a win then, and I reckon another four from the five fixtures after that.
They are Poland (home), Slovenia (home), Poland (away), Slovakia (home) and lastly in the Czech Republic.
Certainly the three home games we can win and probably will. It’s just those away matches that worry me.
But surely we will beat a decent side on the road some day?
Let’s live in hope.
Even if those defeats in Slovakia and Slovenia make it a slim one.
And let’s be happy with last night’s victory. We have got that winning feeling again. A few more and we’ll be in contention.
After last night’s other results in the group, Northern Ireland are five points behind leaders Slovakia and three adrift of Poland and Slovenia with the same as the Czech Republic. Still a long way to go, but we are in a better position now than we were after Saturday. Nice one lads.
