Group F - Northern Ireland 0 Iceland 3: Lawrie Sanchez believes Northern Ireland will bounce back against Spain on Wednesday - because his side are big-game performers. However, the way his players fall apart against modest footballing nations continues to perplex the manager. That was the case at Windsor Park on Saturday.
It was a shabby display and did not augur well for the visit of Spain. Sanchez said: "We will be okay because it is a game we are not expected to get anything from. We need a performance level which shows what the players can do. I'm sure we will get one against Spain but that is not the problem.
"The problem is to win games you are capable of winning. We have raised expectations but we have to live with that."
Iceland, according to Sanchez, were a case in point. Sitting 34 places below the province in the world rankings, there was cautious optimism in the Northern Ireland camp before the match.However they were undone by dreadful defending, which the visitors took full advantage of.
Iceland also had the game's best performer in Barcelona's Eidur Gudjohnsen, who not only scored but dictated the play in a masterful performance.
Sanchez said: ""Gudjohnsen was given far too much space to operate. I do not think he was tackled once. At the end we detailed Aaron Hughes to mark him but the game had gone."
Northern Ireland's record scorer David Healy cleared the bar with a header in the 12th minute. Iceland went on to take the lead 60 seconds later. Healy found the net later, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside and the team were booed off at the end. Iceland raced in a 3-0 lead in the first half through Gunnar Thorvaldsson, Hermann Hreidarsson and the irrespressible Gudjohnsen.
Meanwhile Hughes needed six stitches in a gash above his eye but is expected to be fit in time to face Spain.
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