SOCCER/Northern Ireland - 1 England - 0: Sven-Goran Eriksson's record will be forever stained by this result and England's plans for qualification are just as tarnished. Poland will surely win Group Six.
This was one of England's very worst moments in their international history, although equal emphasis should be placed on the redoubtable efforts of Northern Ireland before and after David Healy's 74th-minute winner. England's display had been tame and muddled.
Northern Ireland were in no mood to lie down. James Quinn fouled Ashley Cole within 10 seconds of the start. The provocation left Wayne Rooney in danger of dismissal before the interval, by which stage he had already collected a booking that rules him out of next month's qualifier with Austria at OId Trafford.
A failure to defeat England in Belfast since 1927 appeared only to have whetted the local appetite. Rooney and David Beckham soon confirmed their quality with a few well-crafted touches, but England's impact did remain erratic. Eriksson's concern over the form of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard was well founded.
When Rooney took the Swede's mind off that issue, it was merely by dismaying him. The teenager, who had been booked in Azerbaijan, is banned from the Austria game because of a yellow card just before the interval here. Beckham's efforts to pacify him seemed to be met with profanities from the youngster.
Annoyingly for Eriksson, Rooney had courted the punishment during a sustained period of petulance. It had begun when Damien Johnson was awarded a foul when the Manchester United forward felt his shirt had been tugged initially. A trivial incident could not be forgotten and he booted the ball aimlessly later when he again felt that the referee Massimo Busacca had disregarded an offence.
The caution came almost immediately for using a raised arm on Keith Gillespie. Another foul followed before the interval as Eriksson stood anxiously on the edge of the technical area. It was reminiscent of the friendly in Madrid last November when Rooney had to be taken off for his own good. A lead would have been soothing, but England were once more ragged in their 4-5-1 formation. Shaun Wright-Phillips, on the right, was far too erratic when in possession for the system to be stable.
Beckham hit the angle of post and bar with a free-kick after 27 minutes, but the side did not flow in open play. Michael Owen was given opportunities only intermittently. A pass from Rooney set him up in the 16th minute but his deflected shot ran to Maik Taylor. On the verge of half-time, Gerrard swept into the left of the area and Owen, taking the cut-back with his back to goal, hooked a shot that again flew to the Birmingham goalkeeper.
There was anger-management for Rooney at half-time. He had appeared to snarl at Rio Ferdinand before going down the tunnel but re-emerged with a fraternal gesture for Beckham.
In the 74th minute, Healy was put through on the right by Steven Davis and the angled drive from the Leeds attacker flew across Paul Robinson to hit the net. The ground erupted.
When Lampard, after an hour, did turn to hit a precise drive the referee failed to detect the crucial touch from Taylor that eased it wide. While Northern Ireland's defending was prolonged it was not particularly frantic. England must have craved a big, aggressive centre-forward to bring about upheaval. Such was the measure of their desperation.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Taylor, Baird, Capaldi, Hughes, Craigan, Davis, Gillespie, Johnson, Healy (Sproule 88), Quinn (Feeney 79), Elliott (Duff 90). Subs not used: Ingham, Robinson, Jones, Brunt. Booked: Johnson, Capaldi, Baird. Goal: Healy 74.
ENGLAND: Robinson, Young, Ferdinand, Carragher, Ashley Cole, Lampard (Hargreaves 80), Beckham, Gerrard (Defoe 75), Wright-Phillips (Joe Cole 54), Owen, Rooney. Subs not used: Upson, Kirkland, Neville, Bent. Booked: Rooney.
Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)
Guardian Service
