Source: Eurosport
We're ready to rock, roars Hughes
Northern Ireland captain Aaron Hughes insists the players are refreshed and ready to cement their place at the top of Group Three on Wednesday.
The Fulham defender and his team-mates ran themselves into the ground to secure a rousing victory against Poland at the weekend. However, Hughes dismissed fears they would have little energy left for their second game in five days when Slovenia arrive at Windsor Park for a World Cup qualifier.
He believes the recuperation programme under sports scientist Jonny Bloomfield - who was drafted in by manager Nigel Worthington - and his team has been second to none.
Hughes said: "We have been very well looked after since Saturday. We did a bit of training yesterday but it was a bit more low key. Then today it was back to normal and got the lads moving again.
"That is the good thing about having Jonny Bloomfield around. The manager likes to look at our heart rates and how we train, if we are doing too much or too little.
"It is little things like that; if it only makes two per cent difference to us, it is to our advantage.
"The lads have been relaxed. We have table tennis and darts and DVDs to enjoy. We have also had some time with our families.
"It has been a good time and we all enjoyed the victory. But then you focus on the next game pretty quickly.
"We are all ready to go again. I think most of lads are used to playing Saturday and midweek. It is nothing new."
Hughes is still hurting from the defeats in Slovenia and Slovakia earlier in the campaign but believes they have learned their lessons and are now capable of qualifying.
He said: "I do not think there is anything to fear in the group. There has not been a team that has steamrollered us.
"We did not deserve to lose those games in Slovakia and Slovenia, so it was hard to take.
"Most of the teams are looking at the top two places and we are no different. We have no less chance than anyone else.
"We know we have two difficult away games against Poland and the Czech Republic to come but anything could happen.
"To qualify automatically would be anyone's dream. The worst-case scenario would be second place and we would go into the play-offs. We would still be in the competition and still be in with a chance."
Worthington is calling on his side to round off the season in style and keep the pressure on their rivals.
He said: "There is a carrot for us, knowing we need three points to stay top of the group for a while longer.
"We're not playing games in the summer, like other teams, but we would be in a relatively good position for the game in Poland in September.
"We know what we've got to do, we know how we've got to go about it and it's now a case of going and doing it."
