Damien Johnson believes that he and his Northern Ireland team-mates can take on the world by playing the Northern Ireland way.

Poland became the latest big name to leave Windsor Park defeated on Saturday night after being rattled by Nigel Worthington’s men from the first minute.

And Johnson is now calling for the same again against Slovenia tomorrow night to ensure that the South Africa 2010 dream is to stay alive for another few months.

“We worked all week on pressing and getting in their faces,” said Johnson of the Poland clash.

“That was really the game plan and Nigel impressed on us all week that we needed to make it uncomfortable for them because they like to get the ball down and pass it.

“I suppose the Slovenians will be something similar, they will like to knock it about and it’s important to get in their faces as well and if that’s a typical Northern Ireland performance then we need to do that again.

“I don’t think they will relish coming to Windsor Park and it’s important we don’t disappoint them.

“They are going to be expecting a hostile atmosphere and a tough game against us.

“We need to step up like we did at the weekend and make it uncomfortable for them.”

Johnson also spoke of his pride at hitting the 50-cap mark.

He said: “I can look back on my 50th cap with a lot of pride, it would have been tarnished if we hadn’t got the right result. We got it and I can look back with fond memories.”

We’ll play it our way: Johnson

The fans have been telling the world for ages now that ‘we’re not Brazil, we’re Northern Ireland.’

Down the years they’ve had their Peles, their Zicos, the original Ronaldo and now Kaka, Ronaldinho and Robinho.

Oh how Nigel Worthington would love to have that kind of talent to call upon.

Like the song goes though, we’re not Brazil, but like the famous yellow shirted south-Americans, we have our own individual brand of football.

And when it works it has Windsor Park dancing to a beat even the Samba Boys couldn’t rock.

The place was bouncing on Saturday night when Poland - with their own Brazilian-born midfielder on-board - departed with tails well and truly between their legs, not able to counter football being played the ‘Northern Ireland way.’

The fans sang that it was just like watching Brazil. It wasn’t really and deep down they knew it, but did they care? Not one bit. They just love seeing THEIR team play THEIR brand of football and that’s the way the players are going to perform on what they hope will be a successful voyage to the World Cup finals in South Africa next summer.

Top of the group at present, Northern Ireland need to at least hold on to that position after tomorrow night’s game at home to Slovenia otherwise the task of qualifying for the first World Cup to be staged on the black continent will be an uphill one.

The manager knows that his players can’t perform the Brazilian way, all he asked for on Saturday night against the Poles was a Northern Ireland performance. And boy did he get it.

A team full of commitment, desire and determination with a will to win - and enough quality to carry it out no matter what some BBC pundits may say.

“We worked all week (before the Poland game) on pressing and getting in their faces,” said Damien Johnson, who celebrated his 50th cap in style with the 3-2 win over the Poles.

“That was really the game plan and Nigel impressed on us all week that we needed to make it uncomfortable for them because they like to get the ball down and pass it.

“I suppose the Slovenians will be something similar, they will like to knock it about and it’s important to get in their faces as well and if that’s a typical Northern Ireland performance then we need to do that again.

“Northern Ireland have got to out-work teams

“We’ve got to be in their faces. Teams don’t like that. If teams want to come and knock the ball about and we let them do that invariably we find ourselves coming unstuck.

“If we can maintain that kind of tempo for the remaining games in the group I am sure we’ll be OK.

“We’ve given ourselves a good chance with the result on Saturday, we’ve kept the group alive.

“We’d watched a couple of videos of the Polish team and they looked a really good side and we knew it would be a tough, tough game.

“We also knew that they wouldn’t relish coming to Windsor Park and we had to make sure we didn’t disappoint them with how we played. The supporters did their part and then it was up to us to do our part, which we did.

“This will be a similar type of game, Slovenia have done well, they have take points off teams.

“Nigel said at the weekend that we have to approach it in the same type of manner — I don’t think they will relish coming to Windsor either and it’s important we don’t disappoint them.

“They are going to be expecting a hostile atmosphere and a tough game against us. We need to step up like we did at the weekend and make it uncomfortable for them.”

The 30-year-old will be able to look back on his 50th appearance with a smile.

“Captaining my country on Saturday night was a great moment for me. It’s probably one of the highlights of my career,” said Johnson.

“It’s been a tough couple of years and it seems to have been a long time coming.

“It was my 40th cap against England which was in 2005 and it’s been a tough couple of years to get there. Just to get back into the team in February meant a lot to me. It was probably the proudest moment of my career. I have captained Birmingham, but to lead Northern Ireland out was something else.”