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Your support makes all the difference.Northern Ireland: Healy pen 15
Northern Ireland: Healy pen 15
Germany: Asamoah 17, Ballack 62, pen 66, Podolski 81
Attendance: 14,000
The decision by four senior players to stand down for last night's friendly had dire consequences for Northern Ireland. As a result manager Lawrie Sanchez was forced to field an understrength side against a German team who proved far too strong, even though they played with 10 men for most of the game.
Keith Gillespie was the only one of the five free agents named in the squad to make himself available. The experienced international, recently released by Leicester, decided to take up the option of playing and put himself in the shop window.
However, Jeff Whitley, Phil Mulryne, Colin Murdock and James Quinn sat it out, fearing if they were injured it could harm their immediate futures. Gillespie did himself no harm at right-back, putting in a solid shift before going off in the 70th minute. But by then it was a damage limitation exercise for the Irish.
The game had started dramatically for the hosts, as in the 15th minute Germany found themselves a man down after Chelsea's Robert Huth was sent off for palming over Gillespie's goal-bound effort.
David Healy then stepped up and coolly slotted home the penalty to give Northern Ireland a shock lead with his 17th goal for the province.
However, their celebrations lasted only two minutes, with Gerald Asamoah taking advantage of some poor defending to steer home Michael Ballack's cross.
The second half saw the introduction of Sebastian Deisler at the expense of Asamoah, and the Bayern Munich midfielder was quickly into the action and tried his luck on goal in the 52nd minute but his effort failed to test Maik Taylor.
After a succession of home chances, Northern Ireland were made to pay for their lack of finishing finesse in the 62nd minute when Ballack put Germany ahead, heading home Deisler's free-kick at the far post.
Ballack then made it 3-1 to Germany in the 66th minute when he scored from the spot after Gillespie was penalised for a challenge on Sebastian Schweinsteiger.
Goalkeeper Mike Ingham, who is on his way to Wrexham after being released by Sunderland, made his bow for Northern Ireland in the 76th minute. But he hardly had a chance to settle into the game, with Lukas Podolski rounding off the scoring five minutes later.
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