Cracow Star Clinches Match
Maciej Zurawski's header five minutes from time gave Poland a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in a World Cup Group Six qualifier on Wednesday that kept them firmly on course to reach the finals with leaders England.
Poland stay second with 15 points from six matches behind England, who beat visiting Azerbaijan 2-0 to reach 16 points. Austria are third with 11 after a 1-0 home win over Wales.
After crushing Azerbaijan 8-0 at home on Saturday, the Poles are top of the pile in the race for one of two direct qualifying spots for second-placed teams in the European zone groups.
Poland are the second top scorers in the qualifiers so far with 19 goals -- behind Portugal with 21 -- and have conceded just five. The only points they have dropped in six games came in the 2-1 defeat at home to England last year.
"I am immensely happy," Poland coach Pawel Janas told public television. "The six points from these two games are absolutely vital."
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"This was as hard as our game with England. I am satisfied (but) we still have to get better in the games to come and, hopefully, with this group of players we can do that."
Northern Ireland defended staunchly for 85 minutes, allowing the Poles only a handful of clear chances before Zurawski headed home a perfectly weighted cross by midfielder Jacek Krzynowek.
Poland had dominated from the start and Zurawski came closest to opening the scoring in the first half, hitting keeper Maik Taylor's left post with a header after 25 minutes.
Krzynowek and substitute Sebastian Mila also went close with shots from the edge of the area and Taylor did well to save a Tomasz Frankowski drive when Mila put him clear inside the box midway through the second half.
Northern Ireland, whose chances were limited to a first-half volley by James Quinn, received five yellow cards, mainly for a series of late challenges in the second half. The Irish remain fourth in the group with just three points from six matches.
"I have never felt more proud to be Polish," a grinning Mila, who plays his club football in Austria, told public television. "We are very happy with how this is going and now we just need to wait to see how the situation will develop."
Poland head for Azerbaijan on June 4 before home games against Austria and Wales in September and a potential showdown with England at Old Trafford on October 12.