The night Northern Ireland humbled England's 'galacticos'

It is a night that is etched in Northern Ireland footballing and sporting folklore.

Wednesday, 7 September 2005. The evening that Lawrie Sanchez's side upset the odds by producing a stunning giant-killing 1-0 victory over a star-studded England side in a World Cup qualifying game at Windsor Park.

For those who were present in south Belfast that evening, or among the many watching on television, the image is as vivid as it was two decades ago.

Almost 74 minutes on the clock. Steven Davis produces a deft pass into the path of David Healy. The striker takes one touch and dispatches the ball past England goalkeeper Paul Robinson into the back of the net. The home crowd erupts.

A BBC documentary, 'True North: Healy 1 England 0: A Football Miracle', available to watch now on BBC iPlayer, reflects on the events of that night and puts it into context in the contemporary footballing landscape.

Northern Ireland had hit rock bottom in the autumn of 2003, the managerless team languishing at number 124 in the Fifa world rankings and racking up a number of unwanted records, including failing to score in 13 consecutive games.

Two years later, on that momentous night, England fielded a team valued at almost £200m more than their opponents, including superstars David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole and Jamie Carragher, who contributes to this film with his reflections on the game.

Labelled the 'golden generation', the team of footballing 'galacticos' was managed by Swede Sven Goran-Eriksson.

Goalscorer Healy and team-mate Stephen Craigan, who also played that night, reminisce on the match highlights, the electric atmosphere inside the stadium that night and the decisive goal which secured the most unlikely of victories.

The film, narrated by Colin Murray, also features contributions from manager Lawrie Sanchez, Jim Boyce, who was IFA president at the time, former minister for sport Kate Hoey, sports reporter Steven Beacom and super fans Heidi and Ray.

Boyce explains how Sanchez, who scored the winning goal for Wimbledon in a shock 1-0 FA Cup final win over Liverpool in 1988, vowed to "get Northern Ireland scoring goals and winning matches" when he was appointed to succeed Sammy McIlroy as manager in January 2004.

The contributors reflect on the "buzz and excitement" in the lead-up to England's first visit to take on Northern Ireland for 18 years.

"Walking down [the tunnel] you're actually sort of thinking, 'maybe this could happen here tonight?'" reflected eventual matchwinner Healy.

James Quinn's early challenge on Ashley Cole set the tone for the contest and with the game goalless at half-time, Sanchez sensed a renewed sense of belief among his team during the interval.

The NI boss said he perceived that before the game "just six or seven of his players" thought that they could beat England but by the interval "the whole team" believed that it was possible.

Former Liverpool defender Carragher tells the programme that "the longer it was going on the greater was the worry that it was going to be a bad night".

Then came that decisive moment which clinched Northern Ireland's first win over England in Belfast since 1927, with the resultant euphoria taking the decibels in the stands to new levels.

At the final whistle, disconsolate England players were left to trudge off the pitch while the home team's players celebrated with their ecstatic fans.

"I said it was about belief to win. We were magnificent in the second half and the best team won it," Sanchez recalls.

Carragher revealed that the feeling in the England dressing room post-match was one of "disbelief".

"You know when you're playing for England this is a really bad one, to lose away to Northern Ireland," he says.

"It was probably one of the greatest nights in Northern Ireland footballing history but for us it's an embarrassing one."

As for the thoughts of goalscoring hero Healy, who went on to win 95 caps and score a record 36 goals for his country:

"That moment will live with me forever. It probably was a life-changing moment."

Healy 1 England 0: A Football Miracle

Available for 11 months