Despite insisting that his men are the underdogs, Lawrie McMenemy will be hoping his Northern Ireland side can continue their Windsor Park rehabilitation by beating Moldova in Belfast this evening.

Northern Ireland have won all three of their games at home since the former Southampton boss took charge and making it four out of four is vital if they are still to have any hope of a top-two finish in Group Three when the Germans come calling in March.

McMenemy's repeatedly stated opinion that Moldova will start as favourites has been greeted with a certain amount of dismay among the team's followers, but with an injury-hit squad which even before a string of withdrawals was made up of reserves and players from the lower divisions, the manager was sticking to his guns yesterday.

"All I've been saying is that we may not know how good their best clubs are," he said.

Northern Ireland have not scored more than a single goal at Windsor Park since the 2-0 defeat of Albania in December 1996 and the new manager knows the importance to the team of a convincing win. With that in mind, he is likely to field as attacking a lineout as possible.

Wimbledon's Michael Hughes, who has done virtually no training between games this season due to a hernia problem, will almost certainly play wide in midfield despite his injury, with Keith Gillespie operating on the other flank. They may operate as wing backs, but should McMenemy employ a back four, he will call on the inexperienced pairing of St Johnstone's Danny Griffin and Watford's Peter Kennedy for the full back positions. Steve Lomas, who missed the last three internationals due to an ankle injury, returns to the centre of midfield and will captain the side once more. Iain Dowie seems certain to retain one of the two strikers' places, despite his failure to score at international level in almost two years. Phil Gray, who has found the net five times in his last three games for Luton, will almost certainly be the other striker to start.

Having beaten Finland and lost away to Turkey so far, a win this evening would give Northern Ireland a share in the lead of Group Three.

Moldova, who have won just one international away from home, will be without influential midfielder Igor Oprea, who is suspended after picking up yellow cards in both of his team's previous outings. He scored both his side's goals in the 3-2 defeat by Finland.

Even with defender Ghenadie Pusca returning from suspension, Ivan Daniliants's men look incapable of depriving the home side of the points.

Northern Ireland: (Probable) - Fettis (Blackburn Rovers); Griffin (St Johnstone), Morrow (QPR), Patterson (Dundee Utd), Ken- nedy (Watford); Gillespie (Newcastle Utd), Lomas (West Ham Utd), Rowland (QPR), Hughes (Wimbledon); Gray (Luton Town), Dowie (QPR).