Azerbaijan shatters Northern Ireland's cup dream

Northern Ireland's hopes of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil were all but ended on Wednesday despite an equalizer deep into stoppage time securing a 1-1 draw at home to minnow Azerbaijan.

Rauf Aliyev's brilliant strike gave Azerbaijan a fifth-minute lead at Belfast's Windsor Park and it wasn't until the sixth minute of added on time that Northern Ireland leveled through David Healy, its record goalscorer.

By then Craig Cathcart and Chris Baird had wasted four good chances between them to win the game for the home side before Healy's first goal in four years spared Michael O'Neill's men an embarrassing defeat, although the result meant the manager ended his first year in charge without a victory.