Northern Ireland 2 Denmark 1An estimated 4,000 Northern Ireland fans started departing Belfast for Gran Canaria yesterday and there is more purpose to their trip than winter sun. Courtesy of the green phenomenon that is David Healy, plus an indomitable spirit that means as much as tactics ever do, Northern Ireland have reached the last game in Group F with a chance of qualifying for next summer's finals.
The degree of difficulty is significant and beating Spain may not be the hard part. After all, Healy scored a hat-trick against them at Windsor Park and the Spanish are already-qualified. It is the need for Latvia to overcome Sweden in Stockholm at the same time that is the more tricky.
But if those two parts of the equation were fulfilled, Northern Ireland would be at their first finals since the World Cup of 1986. Sweden would be eliminated. Considering the Irish started this campaign with a 3-0 home defeat to Iceland, it would be some achievement.
Nigel Worthington has had mixed results since succeeding Lawrie Sanchez five games ago - his dropping of Stephen Craigan for the defeats in Latvia and Iceland rankles with many - but Saturday was his finest night.
"Everything that Northern Ireland stands for on a good night was shown out there," Worthington said. "They have such character, a never-say-die attitude, determination and in David Healy, an exceptional goalscorer.
"Yes, there were a couple of efforts Denmark might have converted at the end but we had to gamble tonight. We've done our job, we needed a win and we're going into that last game looking for a result."
On a pitch that was barely playable due to heavy rain in Belfast all afternoon and early evening, Healy still managed to dazzle. With Warren Feeney having equalised Nicklas Bendtner's 51st minute opener, the stage was set for a compelling climax. Both sides needed to win to retain hope of qualification and it was Healy who decided it.
Collecting the ball on the edge of the Denmark area with his back to goal, Healy turned and chipped the ball all in the one sleek movement. The ball floated perfectly over Thomas Sorensen and in. Northern Ireland had their winner.
It was, strikingly, Healy's 13th goal in qualification, meaning he broke Davor Suker's all-time European Championship record. It was Healy's 33rd goal in 61 internationals.
Healy, from Killyleagh, is quiet, private and never wants to discuss himself ahead of the team. "A lot of people were talking about the record before the match but it didn't matter to me as long as we won," he said. "Still, to get the winning goal is an unbelievable feeling. I am just happy that we have taken it to the last game."
Healy's captain, Aaron Hughes, now also his club colleague at Fulham, emphasised the same point. "We wanted to go to Spain knowing that we still had a chance of qualifying and we have done that," Hughes said.
He added of Healy: "It is unbelievable that in a country this size, and the way we play, that he has still broken the goalscoring record. He probably only gets a few chances and he still manages to score. Look at the goal he scored here, he made it out of nothing. His goal today was not a fluke and now he has broken that European record. But the record won't mean anything to him."
Healy's goal set up a tense and frantic last 10 minutes. Denmark suddenly showed some urgency and Dennis Rommedahl smacked a post with a 30-yard free-kick, though Feeney had also hit the woodwork at the other end.
There were then a couple of goalmouth scrambles and a Denmark claim that Sammy Clingan had handled the ball. But the Irish got away with it and held on.
The downside was suspensions to Jonny Evans and Keith Gillespie, a harsh booking.
Gillespie is likely to be replaced by Ivan Sproule. That Sproule plays for Bristol City says something about the North's meagre resources but they just get on with it. Drawn from pot six, third place has been clinched. Now to see if they can go one better.
