Digging deep second nature to boss O’Neill

NORTHERN IRELAND played their best football in decades to qualify for Euro 2012 — but boss Michael O’Neill knows his side will have to hit even greater heights to reach the World Cup in Russia in two years’ time.

Romania and Hungary were the highest seeds O’Neill’s men had to contend with to secure a stunning passage to France in the summer.

But with world champions Germany in their group this time around, Northern Ireland are, realistically, battling for second place along with tonight’s hosts, the Czech Republic, in a section that also includes Azerbaijan, Norway and San Marino.

Not that O’Neill is fazed. He said: ‘History tells us that Germany will win the group, but we are going to give it a right go, as we tried in the Euros.’