Pakistan, Oct. 11 -- BELFAST - Northern Ireland breathed new life into their World Cup qualification campaign with a well-earned 2-0 victory over Slovakia at Windsor Park on Friday night, moving into second place in Group A.

Slovakia came into the game brimming with confidence after a stunning 2-0 win over Germany and a 1-0 victory in Luxembourg, but their momentum was quickly halted by a dominant Northern Ireland side. The breakthrough came in the 18th minute, when Ethan Galbraith's dangerous low cross forced Patrik Hrosovsky to turn the ball into his own net. The home side's aggressive pressing and sharp passing ensured the advantage was fully deserved. Slovakia struggled to create meaningful chances, and Northern Ireland sealed the re...