McNair and Northern Ireland win Group F

When Northern Ireland responded, Brunt forced Lukas Hradecky to make a smart stop after a long spell of pressure but Finland did equalise with just three minutes left.

Michael O’Neill insists Northern Ireland are not going to Euro 2016 just to make up the numbers after qualifying for their first major tournament in 30 years.

Cathcart’s goal mean t the onus was on them to find a foothold in the game and they simply did not have the wherewithal, leaving O’Neill’s side seemingly comfortable.

“I got a text from Wales manager Chris Coleman saying “it does not get better than this” and I have to agree with him“, O’Neill told BBC Radio 5 live.

“We’ve got there, and in many ways the hard work’s done, we want to go to France and enjoy the occasion but, at the same time, we want to give a good account of ourselves”.

“The players deserve enormous credit for that”. ‘But there was always going to be an element of fatigue after qualifying on Thursday’.

That last phrase certainly applied to this match, with the visitors understandably flat after the high of qualification last Thursday, as Davis acknowledged: “It was a bit of a unusual game and atmosphere, but we’ve done what we needed to do, which was top the group”.

O’Neill reserved special praise for Southampton midfielder Davis, who netted either side of a Josh Magennis header before Christos Aravidis claimed a late consolation for the Greeks.

He would probably have spent this week’s crunch double header watching from the dugout had Jonny Evans not been ruled out by a hamstring injury.

But the 2,000-plus travelling support were off their feet again when Craig Cathcart headed home his first worldwide goal.

But Cathcart has a staunch supporter in O’Neill.

“I think so, a big positive of the campaign is that we have so many players, any of the ones who have come in have stepped up to the plate”, he added.

“I saw a player that has adapted to life in the Premier League and looks like he belongs in the Premier League”.

They were unable to record a clean sheet, though, as Arajuuri earned a share of the spoils with a low finish three minutes from time, but the point was still enough to see Northern Ireland finish as group winners ahead of Romania, who qualified courtesy of a 3-0 win over Faroe Islands.

“There were a lot of harsh lessons but the good thing is they have learned them and they’ve shown that in this group”.