Northern Ireland double sinks reeling Ukraine

Northern Ireland won its first match in a major tournament in 24 years by topping a poor Ukraine side 2-0 in Lyon on Thursday.

While only six players in Michael O'Neill's 23-man squad were alive when Gerry Armstrong scored three times at the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Northern Ireland can now mark the victory at the Stade des Lumieres as its first win in continental competitions.

West Brom's Gareth McAuley put the Norn Iron on the board minutes after the interval with a towering header that eluded a flat-footed Andriy Pyatov.

Led by centre-halves Jonny Evans and Craig Cathcart, Northern Ireland kept its shape despite repeated attempts by Ukraine, only for Aberdeen's Niall McGinn to cement the result in the 96th minute.

The victory puts Northern Ireland on three points ahead of a pivotal Group C clash between Germany and Poland at the Stade de France. The group will be determined on June 21 when O'Neill's side faces World Cup holders Germany, and Poland and Ukraine lock horns in Marseille.