THE weather came from Belfast, the carnival atmosphere from Brazil and the result was simply out of this world.
A case of rain started play as thunder and lightning sparked Northern Ireland into life with their first goal and victory at their first Euros.
A little help from Mother Nature plus sweeping changes to the team by boss Michael O’Neill and the outlook is suddenly a lot brighter with a realistic chance of making the last 16 among the four best third-placed teams.
How different Northern Ireland’s prospects look now after they surrendered in the heat and dust of Nice against Poland on Sunday.
For a team with just four Premier League players and a 36-year-old defender currently on the dole in Aaron Hughes, it ranks as one of the biggest shocks in Euro finals history.
Along with Iceland’s heroics against Portugal, it also adds another significant touch of joy to a competition which has been overshadowed by the dark shadows of hooliganism and transport chaos.
But you only had to watch O’Neill’s Jose Mourinho-style spring on to the pitch at the final whistle to see what it means to him and his tiny football country.
O’Neill pleaded for a win because he loves his team’s training base in a 17th century chateau in the heart of Beaujolais country.
But for O’Neill this is his moment. He knows it. And rightly so.
A £750,000 buyout clause in the new four-year deal he signed with the IFA in March now looks pretty reasonable to some of the English clubs keeping a watchful eye on his progress.
Winning the qualification group is one thing but to beat a fellow European nation so convincingly, with two of the most talked-about wingers in football in their line-up, is another.
To do it by getting tough with his players also shows he has b***s of steel.
Northern Ireland play Germany next and their boss Joachim Low knows they are not to be sniffed at now.
O’Neill made five changes to his team which failed to turn up and lost 1-0 to the Poles.
It included a brave decision to dump leading scorer Kyle Lafferty.
Lafferty scored seven goals on the road to France but has just one in the last six games and has been struggling with a groin problem.
For Northern Ireland fans it was still a hold your breath moment. They can now breathe easy as the bold ploy clearly worked.
Lafferty’s replacement Conor Washington was more nimble and, combined with a more attacking formation and approach, it paid off in style.
Less than four minutes into the game, Leeds’ Stuart Dallas had their first shot on target after they failed to register a single one on Sunday.
That’s big news in Northern Ireland terms and it was the starting signal for a far more lively performance.
Were it for slightly better communication, a touch better control and composure, O’Neill’s side would have taken the lead long before Gareth McAuley’s historic 49th- minute goal.
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Skipper Steven Davis forced a one-handed save from backwards-leaning Ukraine keeper Andriy Pyatov, Corry Evans was inches behind a cross from Jamie Ward.
Watford’s Craig Cathcart headed just wide from a 34th-minute corner, while Oliver Norwood tested the keeper with a long-range shot. And as the weather closed in, the Green Army opened up even more.
Even the two-minute delay, when hail stones pelted the players and Czech ref Pavel Kralovec called a halt, failed to stop the momentum.
There was a hairy ride to the final whistle and six minutes of injury time — during which 69th-minute sub Niall McGinn rammed in the second. But you get the feeling the 20,000 Northern Ireland fans in the Stade de Lyon would not want it any other way.
A rain-soaked lens captures Niall McGinn's brilliant second to send Northern Ireland players into raptures
O’Neill has told his players to remember who they are when they step on to the pitch.
They face the world champions next Tuesday in Paris — maybe he should tell them that they are Germany instead just before kick-off.
DREAM TEAM RATINGS
UKRAINE: Pyatov 6, Fedetskiy 6, Khacheridi 7, Rakitskiy 7, Shevchuk 6, Stepanenko 7, Syordchuk 6 (Garmash 76, 6), Yamolenko 6, Kovalenko 7 (Zinchenko 83, 6), Konoplyanka 7, Seleznyov 6 (Zozulya 72 5). Booked: Sydorchuk, Seleznyov.
N IRELAND: McGovern 7, Hughes 7, Cathcart 7, STAR MAN McAULEY 8, J Evans 8, Ward 6 (McGinn 69, 7), C Evans 5 (McNair 90, 6), Davis 7, Norwood 7, Dallas 5, Washington 6 (Magennis 84, 6). Booked J Evans, Ward, Dallas.
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