Germany have just scored in the Czech Republic and the table-toppers are now leading 2-1. That means Northern Ireland only need to draw when they host Czech Republic on Tuesday night to secure second-place in Group C.
88'
A clever team move right off the training ground as Norwood drops to the edge of the penalty area to meet Brunt's corner delivery. However, the midfielder's wait for his first international goal continues as he slices his effort wide of the goal.
86'
Corry Evans has been pretty lively since his introduction but he's flagged offside now as he receives a pass from his brother, Johnny. Despite leading by three goals, Northern Ireland are still hungry for more.
84'
Substitute Corry Evans tries to get on the act as he makes a late run from midfield to latch onto a pass on the right channel, but sees a well-struck effort from a tight angle saved.
82'
Elsewhere in Group C, Czech Republic have levelled with table-toppers Germany. It's now 1-1 there. Remember, Northern Ireland play Czech Republic on Tuesday night and could seal second-place with a home victory.
81'
A. Golinucci enters the game and replaces F. Berardi.
San Marino also make their third and final change: Berardi making way for Alessandro Golinucci
78'
C. Evans enters the game and replaces C. Washington.
N. McGinn enters the game and replaces S. Dallas.
Penalty goal scored by S. Davis for Northern Ireland!
Corry Evans replaces Washington in Northern Ireland's third and final change.
Dallas has impressed this evening but he's replaced by Niall McGinn for the remaining 12 minutes or so.
GOAL! San Marino 0-3 Northern Ireland. Gasperoni, with his first touch, handles the ball inside the box and the referee points to the spot! Davis keeps his cool to send Simoncini the wrong way from the subsequent penalty and seal the points for the visitors. It's his 10th international goal.
77'
G. Bonini gets yellow.
Yellow cards adding up for San Marino now as Giovanni Bonini is cautioned.
76'
A. Gasperoni enters the game and replaces D. Simoncini.
San Marino's second change: Simoncini is replaced by Alex Gasperoni.
Minute
Description
75'
J. Magennis has scored a goal for Northern Ireland! Assist by C. Washington.
Washington keeps his cool, looks up and tees up Magennis for his second.
GOAL! San Marino 0-2 Northern Ireland: It's Magennis at the double and that should be game, set and match. Davis feeds Washington behind the hosts' defence and he unselfishly squares it to Magennis who is left with a simple tap-in.
74'
Northern Ireland continue to pile on the pressure as they search for a second killer goal. Brunt is played through inside the area but his shot is tame and straight at Simoncini.
72'
Magennis has been Northern Ireland' best player on the night and undoubtedly deserves his goal. And he could have a second just now as he unloads from inside the area but his low shot is straight into the arms of Simoncini.
70'
J. Magennis has scored a goal for Northern Ireland! Assist by S. Davis.
Great awareness from Davis to keep the ball alive. Captain fantastic.
GOAL! San Marino 0-1 Northern Ireland: After 70 minutes, the visitors finally have the break-through! Magennis sees his header well saved by Simoncini. Davis keeps the ball in play however, and finds Magennis who tucks away the opening goal.
69'
Plenty of venom in Norwood's shot from 25 yards, but it curls only inches wide of the target. The midfielder is still waiting on his first goal in Northern Ireland colours.
68'
Better from Northern Ireland as they play a well-worked free-kick short and catch San Marino off guard as Davis peels off his marker but shoots straight at the San Marino goalkeeper.
67'
F. Vitaioli enters the game and replaces J. Biordi.
That is Biordi's last contribution as he is replaced by Fabio Vitaioli - San Marino's first change.
66'
J. Biordi gets yellow.
Biordi is booked for a heavy challenge on Ferguson.
65'
Brunt's cross is too close to the goalkeeper as he comfortably parries it over the crossbar. And from the subsequent corner, Magennis fouls Simoncini.
63'
D. Simoncini gets yellow.
Washington shows a great turn of pace to latch onto a through ball. He's heading towards the penalty area, but is hauled down by Simoncini who goes into the book for doing so. Northern Ireland have a free-kick now in a dangerous position, on the left.
62'
Davis and Ferguson exchange neat passes before the latter delivers a cross to the near post. However, the linesman flag is raised as Ferguson was offside.
61'
S. Ferguson enters the game and replaces K. Lafferty.
That will be Lafferty's last contribution as he is replaced by Shane Ferguson. A slight change in formation from Northern Ireland, but will it make a difference?
60'
Davis unlocks the San Marino back-line with a lovely through-ball, but Lafferty is flagged offside. The hosts are now playing with a six-man defence.
59'
The San Marino defence continues to stand firm as Lafferty sees his shot from inside the box charged down. Brunt shoots from the loose ball, but it's high, wide and not at all pretty.
57'
Tremendous pace from Dallas as he gets away from his marker on the channel, but he over-runs the ball and San Marino's goalkeeper gets down quickly to recover possession.
55'
Magennis wins Northern Ireland their ninth corner of the match. Brunt's delivery is decent - and it has been this evening - as he finds the unmarked Dallas on the edge of the penalty, but the Leeds midfielder sees his shot blocked.
53'
M. Bernardi gets yellow.
Marco Bernardi goes into the book for a foul on Hughes.
52'
O'Neill will be pleased with how well his side are exploiting the space on the channels but the finishing has been dreadful. They still have over 35 minutes to break the deadlock, however.
50'
WIDE! You guessed it, Northern Ireland see yet another attempt miss the target - McLaughlin crosses for Magennis but his header is very poor and well off target.
48'
Northern Ireland have their first chance of the second-period, but again they fail to hit the target. Brunt swings in a cross to the near post for Davis who nips in front of his marker but heads over the crossbar.
47'
San Marino have a rare opportunity to form an attack as Brunt commits a foul. As expected, the set-piece is pumped into the box, but Berardi handles the ball and the referee awards the visitors a free-kick inside their own half.
46'
San Marino have only kept four clean-sheets in their entire history - can they keep Northern Ireland at bay this evening? We're about to find out as the second-half gets underway.
45'
Little time, if any, will be played at the end of the first-half.
43'
OFF THE POST! Magennis leaps like a salmon to reach Brunt's cross, but sees his header smash off the woodwork. The loose ball falls kindly to Evans who inexplicably slices the ball wide from a yard out! Unbelievable stuff at San Marino and it begs the question, will it be one of those nights for Northern Ireland?
41'
The space opens up for Norwood to have a shot from 20 yards, but the former Manchester United midfielder produces a rather weak effort as the ball rolls harmlessly wide of goal.
40'
A lovely ball is knocked down the line for Dallas who curls in a cross to the back post for Lafferty, but the Northern Ireland front man fouls his marker and San Marino have a free-kick. Five minutes until half-time and the score remains 0-0, despite the visitors' dominance.
39'
A nervous O'Neill is out of his dug-out and urging his players to move the ball faster as the away side's frustration continues to grow.
37'
Northern Ireland have had 11 attempts at goal but have yet to find the opener. In contrast, San Marino have only had one shot at goal.
35'
SAVE! Evans wins the header from the subsequent corner and he nods it down to tee up Washington. But the QPR forward strikes his shot from six yards straight at the goalkeeper, Simoncini, and then contrives to fire the rebound over the bar!
33'
Magennis, Northern Ireland's stand-out man thus far, uses his strength to burst past his marker and fires a shot at goal from a tight angle, forcing Aldo Simoncini into a great save! The ball richochets off a defender and the visitors have a corner.
31'
In fact, O'Neill's side have had almost 80 per cent of possession. It counts for little if you don't put the ball into the back of the net, though. San Marino are set up to defend and offering little in attack, but if the score-line remains goalless then they'll be happy.
29'
Northern Ireland are working the channels well, keeping possession comfortably, but they're still yet to find a break through with almost half-an-hour on the clock played.
27'
OVER! Another chance goes begging for Northern Ireland. It's Davis with the effort once again, but this time he heads over from Magennis' cross.
25'
CHANCES! Norwood slips through Lafferty who is forced wide by the goalkeeper and his cross into a crowded penalty area is crucially cleared by skipper Davide Simoncini. The visitors work the ball back into the danger area with Davis lining himself up for a shot from close range, but this time Juri Biordi makes a vital block.
24'
Jeers from the visiting supporters as Marco Bernardi goes in late on Evans - and somehow escapes a yellow card. A strange decision from the referee.
23'
San Marino can't get out of their half at the moment as Northern Ireland continue to heap the pressure on their hosts as they win yet another corner. This time Conor McLaughlin leaps highest but his knock-down is hacked away from goal.
21'
Super movement by Norwood as runs onto a wide pass. Not only does he keep the ball in, but he whips in a great cross into the San Marino penalty area. Lafferty mis-connects at the front post, it falls to Magennis who slices his effort well over the bar.
19'
Lovely inter-link football from Northern Ireland as Dallas and Norwood exchange passes and win a corner. The subsequent set-piece finds Magennis at the back post, but he can't keep his header down.
17'
CHANCE! A lovely cross is played into the path of the unmarked Washington inside the penalty area, but he mis-judges the pace of the ball and fails to connect. All it needed was a touch.
16'
Now Northern Ireland go direct as Brunt seeks out Washington with a long pass, but it's over-cooked and San Marino have a goal-kick. The hosts have all but one of their players behind the ball at the moment.
14'
San Marino seem well organised in defence thus far, and Northern Ireland may need to show a little patience as they bid to break them down.
12'
Magennis, playing on the right wing, is one of those Northern Ireland players expected to provide the deliveries for Lafferty this evening. He does well to beat his man on the channel just now, before finding Washington, but the QPR man loses possession inside the San Marino penalty area.
10'
Northern Ireland are playing quite a direct game this evening and with the aerial presence of Lafferty to aim for, it's little wonder. The Hearts forward should cause problems for the San Marino defence, when he gets the service.
8'
WIDE! A half-chance for San Marino - Berardi is allowed to cut inside and fire a low effort at goal, but it's always going wide of Michael McGovern's goal. It's perhaps a small warning for Northern Ireland.
6'
Dallas, who has only recently signed a new contract with Leeds, is fouled and Northern Ireland have an opportunity to pump the ball into the San Marino penalty area. Oliver Norwood creeps up unnoticed and meets the delivery, the goalkeeper is back-peddling but fortunately, for the hosts, the header goes wide. The goalkeeper was in no man's land but he's got away with it.
5'
An early goal would certainly settle the nerves of the away side. Michael O'Neill's side put four past San Marino in the corresponding fixture, but three of those came late on.
3'
JUST WIDE! An early opportunity for the visitors as Stuart Dallas forces a corner. San Marino can only partially clear from Chris Brunt's delivery and the loose ball falls kindly to captain Steve Davis whose low effort goes narrowly wide of the post.
1'
Northern Ireland, in their white away strip, get us underway. San Marino are in their traditional blue.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the World Cup Group C qualifier between San Marino and Northern Ireland in Serravalle.
Currently occupying second place in Group C, four points ahead of third-placed Czech Republic, Northern Ireland are on course for a World Cup play-off spot. They can take a step closer to achieving that goal by heaping more misery on minnows San Marino this evening.
Michael O’Neill’s side have won four of their six group games thus far - losing only to table-toppers Germany – and won 4-0 in this corresponding fixture in Belfast last October. If victorious again this evening, Northern Ireland may only need to draw with Czech Republic on Tuesday to seal second spot and a place in the World Cup play-offs.
San Marino, - ranked 204th in the world - are bottom of Group C having lost all of their games, conceding 30 goals in the process. Their only professional player in the current squad is Filippo Berardi, who plays for Serie C team Juve Stabia. One would imagine tonight – like most games – is a damage-limitation exercise.
SUBS: Mannus, Carroll, Flanagan, Hodson, McLaughlin, D Lafferty, Thompson, Ferguson, C Evans, Paton, McGinn, McCartan.
Michael O’Neill obviously expects his team to score a few goals this evening - he starts with strikers Kyle Lafferty and Conor Washington while fellow front man Josh Magennis is likely to operate on the wing. Elsewhere, Manchester City-target Jonny Evans must turn his focus to on-field matters as the West Brom defender makes his first competitive appearance of the season.
Starting alongside Evans at centre-back is Aaron Hughes, who makes his 107th international appearance this evening. After long spells with Newcastle and Fulham, the 37-year-old enjoyed stints in Australia and India before returning to the UK in January to play for Hearts.
Around 3,000 Northern Ireland supporters have packed into this small stadium - and they're making themselves heard as kick-off approaches. It's a very wet night in San Marino and it could make for a slippery surface.
The national anthems have been belted out and now we're almost set for kick-off. Stay with us for all of the drama and excitement.
The referee signals for half-time and somehow Northern Ireland go in level with San Marino at the break.
Despite fashioning over a dozen efforts at goal, Northern Ireland are yet to break the deadlock. Magennis went close when he struck the post with a header and from the rebound Evans, quite unbelievably, sliced his shot wide from only a yard. Meanwhile, Washington could only shoot straight at the goalkeeper from six yards.
FULL-TIME: Northern Ireland claim their fifth victory of Group C to cement second-place. The visitors had to be patient - their opening goal didn't come until the 70th minute when Magennis tucked home from Davis' pass. But then the floodgates opened, Magennis added a second before Davis completed the scoring from the spot. An important night coming up now for Northern Ireland on Tuesday night - they are ever so close to a play-off spot.
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