Sanchez cool on qualification talk

Manager Lawrie Sanchez adopted a cautious tone after Northern Ireland moved to the dizzy heights of topping their Euro 2008 qualifying group.

A six-match campaign in Group F has yielded 13 points following the dramatic 2-1 victory against Sweden at Windsor Park but boss Sanchez played down suggestions that his side were close to securing their place in next year's finals.

He said: "We will probably need to get the same number of points in the second half to get there. As I keep saying what counts is where you are at after 12 matches, not at the halfway stage."

David Healy maintained his one-man show against Sweden with a brace - his ninth goal in the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign and his 29th in 56 international appearances.

The province now find themselves surprise leaders of the group with Liechtenstein next up in August.

Like England and Spain before them, Sweden left the Belfast lights behind with nothing.

Sanchez said: "Wednesday nights are special at Windsor. It is nice we have left the supporters with a good taste in the mouth.

"There is a belief now we can recover from going behind. We did it against Spain and then Sweden and that will hold us in good stead.

"We are capable of getting into a game where maybe we were not before."