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Northern Ireland 's 2-0 triumph over Norway in Belfast on Sunday kept them on track for a play-off berth in their 2018 World Cup qualification campaign.

First-half efforts from Jamie Ward and Conor Washington at Windsor Park saw Michael O'Neill's team hang on to second spot at the halfway stage of a group that will surely be won by Germany.

Here we look at five things we learned as the Northern Irish extended their run of competitive fixtures without defeat at home to eight games.

THE PERFECT 10

This success took O'Neill's side to 10 points at the halfway stage - a landmark he believes will enhance belief among his players that reaching Russia can be achieved. The word O'Neill used to describe the performance was "assured" and that perfectly summed it up. Northern Ireland never looked troubled and played with a maturity that has developed with their success during the previous Euro 2016 qualification campaign. This is a team of seasoned veterans, a squad boasting 835 international caps but no World Cup finals appearances...yet.

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THE BACK THREE RETURNS, AND SHOULD STAY

This was the first time Craig Cathcart had played for his country since the Euros and it saw O'Neill revisit the three-man defence consisting of the Watford centre-back, Gareth McAuley and Jonny Evans. The all-Premier League trio were in sync throughout and the system allowed Northern Ireland to utilise three of their best players in natural roles. Chris Brunt was perhaps the odd man out as he was stationed in central midfield rather than at left-back, but his adaptability means O'Neill knows he can slot him into a variety of positions.

(Image: Presseye)

UNWANTED WARD AND WASHINGTON FEEL THE LOVE

Ward and Washington returned from the Euros in the summer and found themselves down the pecking order at their clubs. The former joined Burton on loan before coming back to Nottingham Forest while Washington's opportunities increased as soon as Ian Holloway replaced Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink at QPR. As is the case with Norwich outcast Kyle Lafferty, they have remained valuable members of O'Neill's squad throughout. Washington in particular seems to have been imbued with confidence when he pulls on a green shirt at Windsor having scored in all three of his starts there.

(Image: Presseye)

McAULEY'S MADE OF STERN STUFF

McAuley, 37, is one of just four outfield players to have played every minute of 29 Premier League games, and he is a decade older than the next eldest. Clearly he is in excellent condition. However, it looked as though he would not last half-an-hour on Sunday due to a back injury picked up in a challenge with Alexander Soderlund. With the Northern Irish bench contemplating what they would do without their veteran warrior, McAuley soldiered on and put in a typically all-action display as the hosts recorded their fourth clean sheet of the campaign. Only the world champions Germany have breached this backline since the summer.

(Image: Presseye)

NO WAY NOW FOR NORWAY

The good news for England fans is Lars Lagerback, who has never lost against the Three Lions in seven meetings, is unlikely to be managing a team in Russia. This defeat in Lagerback's first game at the Norway helm leaves the Nordic nation seven points adrift of the Northern Irish with just five games to play. Lagerback admitted before the contest they would need to win five of their remaining six to be in with a chance of finishing second - so this loss has left them seeking five from five with a trip to Germany still to come. It would take something sensational for them to pull it off from here, and Lagerback usually reserves his miracles for meetings with England.