Greece V Northern Ireland

[sake]

Northern Ireland's dreams of a first European Championship appearance are one step closer to reality after goals from Jamie Ward and Kyle Lafferty against Greece gave them a third successive Group F victory.

That is the country's best ever start to any World Cup or European qualifying series and a table-topping nine points would surely have been beyond the most fanciful expectations of manager Michael O'Neill following a fifth-placed finish in his maiden campaign.

But Northern Ireland are a different beast now, exemplified by Lafferty's hot streak of three goals in as many games - the latest a powerful run and finish from a predatory counter-attack.

The name of record scorer David Healy is not taken lightly in Northern Irish circles, but having led the line superbly and found the net against each of Hungary, the Faroe Islands and now Greece, Norwich man Lafferty is making a persuasive case to be compared favourably.

Ward also deserves immense credit, opening the scoring with a deflected effort in the eighth minute and setting up Lafferty's second with a tigerish interception that turned defence into attack in an instant.

Greece, though, put in a ragged impression of a top seed and former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri is already fighting for his job, jeered from the field after taking a solitary point in his first three matches.

Ranieri had been afforded a muted reception in the build-up, less indeed than former Olympiacos goalkeeper Roy Carroll on his return to Athens.

There were also large swathes of empty seats in the stands, meaning a far cry from the white hot reception Northern Ireland had been promised.

And they capitalised by applying early pressure, pushing the hosts back into their own half almost immediately.

Lafferty had a sight of goal as early as the sixth minute when he went toe to toe with goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis in pursuit of Oliver Norwood's free-kick, eventually settling for a corner.