Northern Ireland 0 Hungary 2: NORTHERN IRELAND manager Nigel Worthington saw his team pay the price for some sloppy defensive play at Windsor Park last night. Second-half goals from Sandor Torghelle and Zoltan Gera gave Hungary the victory they deserved in this friendly.

Hungary dominated and almost took the lead in the 15th minute. Krisztian Vadocz hoisted the ball over the top and Torghelle was the first to react but he failed to test goalkeeper Maik Taylor.

The Hungarians were busy and Vadocz broke forward two minutes later and tried his luck on goal but his effort went closer to the corner flag than the goal. The visitors were growing in confidence and Gergely Rudolf burst to the byline in the 33rd minute. He evaded Chris Baird's challenge and laid the ball back to Szabolcs Huszti who sent his shot wide of the post from just inside the box.

At the interval Worthington brought on goalkeeper Jonathan Tuffey for his debut.

Northern Ireland almost took the lead in the 54th minute when Chris Brunt swung in a cross from the left, Keith Gillespie won the header and the ball spun into the path of David Healy but the goalkeeper cleared with his legs.

A minute later Worthington handed Niall McGinn his debut with the winger replacing Michael Duff. Hungary, however, took the lead in the 57th minute after a surging run from Huszti. He clipped the ball back from the byline and Torghelle made no mistake from close range.

Northern Ireland appealed for a penalty on the hour when substitute Warren Feeney was grounded by Roland Guhasz but the referee allowed play to continue. The home side pressed forward again and McGinn's effort came back off the top of the bar as Hungary found themselves on the back foot.

However, the visitors regrouped and went 2-0 ahead in the 71st minute with a goal from Fulham's Gera.

The midfielder latched on to a clearance from goalkeeper Gabor Babos and, with Jonny Evans backing off, he rifled a shot into the net from 25 yards.

Babos then did well to parry Healy's free-kick as the home side attempted to get back in the game.

NORTHERN IRELAND: Taylor, Duff, Evans, Baird, McGivern, Gillespie, Clingan, O'Connor, Brunt, Lafferty, Healy. Subs: Mannus, Tuffey, McGinn, Feeney, Shiels, Paterson, Thompson.

HUNGARY: Babos, Bodnar, Rudolf, Juhasz, Vanczak, Halmosi, Toth, Vadocz, Huszti, Gera, Torghelle. Subs: Fulop, Vermes, Feczesin, Horvath, Dardai, Dzsudzsak, Szalai.

Referee: Robert Schoergenhofer (Austria).