Northern Ireland 0 Italy 0:IT WAS not the conquest Northern Ireland had dared to imagine and Italy prevailed where England and Spain failed, but that does not lessen the significance of the stalemate at Windsor Park last night.

Nigel Worthington’s side survived several scares against the former world champions to preserve their unbeaten start in Group C. Four points from two awkward assignments constitutes an encouraging step towards Poland and Ukraine 2012 and, with the Faroe Islands to come on Tuesday, a commanding one surely awaits.

It could have been so much better had Steven Davis taken a glorious chance in the 90th minute, but this, for Worthington, was mission accomplished.

Italy exited South Africa shamed by their failure to win one game as defending champions, the reputation of World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi, Fabio Cannavaro and others stained by the nation’s plunge into darkness, but style and expectation has not disappeared from their DNA after one miserable summer.

Any team with Andrea Pirlo as its conductor possesses an imperious air and the Italy captain, one of only four survivors from the World Cup in Cesare Prandelli’s squad, was the game’s dominant figure from the off.

His quick, intelligent distribution proved a constant test of Northern Ireland’s defensive discipline. Once Chris Baird and Steven Davis in particular recognised the need to deny Pirlo time in central midfield, the home side began to display menace of their own.

Chances were limited for both sides in the opening 30 minutes, with Simone Pepe forcing the first save from Maik Taylor from an acute angle and just failing to apply a touch to Domenico Criscito’s dangerous low cross from the left.

A balanced, cautious contest suddenly stirred around the half-hour mark. David Healy, without a goal in 13 internationals, showed the rustiness that comes from being marginalised at Sunderland when, from Chris Brunt’s inviting delivery from the right, he headed wide at the back post.

The miss almost assumed defining proportions seconds later when, from a long ball out of the Italy defence, Northern Ireland’s backline was caught square and Marco Borriello raced clear on goal. Taylor stood his ground to thwart the Roma striker with a fine save and deserved the reprieve when Antonio Cassano curled the rebound wide.

The French referee Tony Chapron infuriated the home crowd when he refused to punish Daniele De Rossi for handball inside his own area moments before the interval.

Stephen Craigan, impressive at the heart of the home defence, hooked Baird’s free-kick back across goal and straight into De Rossi’s arms. File under the list of “seen them given”.

As in the first half, Italy controlled the early stages of the second only to meet stubborn resistance and suffer for their own carelessness.

Yet, they still should have established a comfortable lead. Stefano Mauri sent a difficult volley over Taylor’s crossbar and then played Borriello into enough space for an international striker to flourish. Borriello once again shot tamely at Taylor, however, and was soon taken off.

Pirlo sliced over from the edge of the penalty area having been teed up by Cassano. Pepe, unmarked at the back post, volleyed another excellent Criscito delivery wide, Taylor saved Cassano’s header and defender Giorgio Chiellini glanced across goal.

With two minutes remaining substitutes Giampaolo Pazzini and Giuseppe Rossi combined to waste a glorious chance from a Cassano cross.