 A 4–1 loss to Denmark in a friendly, was followed by a humiliating 1–0 defeat by Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, David Healy scoring the goal in the 73rd minute.An unconvincing 1–0 victory over Austria followed, in which Beckham became the first England player to be sent off twice in internationals.However, despite further criticism, the result allowed England to qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals with one match to spare, and they travelled to Germany as group winners, following an improved performance and 2–1 victory against Poland in their last qualifier.