Northern Ireland are on course to win their third straight match in Euro 2016 qualifying after taking a 1-0 half-time lead against Greece this evening.

The visitors went ahead in the ninth minute through Jamie Ward, who guided the ball into the net after Oliver Norwood's corner had fallen kindly to him inside the box.

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Greece looked for an immediate response, but Stefanos Athanasiadis fired their first shot of the evening wide of the target.

The hosts worked another opening just past the half-hour mark when Nikolaos Karelis was played through on goal by Georgios Samaras, but his clipped effort over Roy Carroll headed wide of the post.

On the stroke of half time Ireland almost doubled their lead, but after a powerful run into the box, Kyle Lafferty saw his effort from a tight angle come crashing off the bar.