Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill has admitted that he is "disappointed" to have suffered defeat against Norway, but is confident that his side can pick themselves up.
A 1-0 loss in Oslo was not enough to dampen the Green and White Army's spirits, as they had already made certain of a best-placed runners-up spot prior to kicking a ball.
Dropped points for Scotland away to Slovenia set up a two-legged World Cup qualification playoff tie for Norn Iron next month, and O'Neill is relishing the prospect of potentially guiding his side to Russia 2018.
"The Scotland result took tension out of the situation," he told Sky Sports News. "It wasn't possible to have two different teams in mind. At times we played good football, at times we were off. It's a positive that the lads on bookings got through. The main thing was to be in the playoffs, and that was confirmed before we started.
"Chris was in a difficult situation for the goal. You're always disappointed when you lose and it would have been nice to get a clean sheet. The main thing was to get through without suspension and now we have a massive game in November. We can't be greedy. We'll be up against some great teams and we'll have to deal with whatever comes.
"You may play a good team if you're seeded. It's unlikely we will be seeded, but we still have a chance to get to Russia. We're punching above our weight and have done for a long time. The squad has been stretched, so the players deserve credit."
Northern Ireland, who finished 11 points behind Germany in Group C, will learn their playoff opponents when the draw takes place on October 17.
Daniel Lewis
