With the game evenly poised going into the closing moments Nigel Worthington's side were stung by two home goals in as many minutes.

Milivoje Novakovic broke the deadlock on 84 minutes when he got on the end of a Birsa cross to tap the ball in at the far post.

And then, barely sixty seconds later, Zlatan Ljubijankic added another after dispossessing Jonny Evans on the edge of the box to beat Maik Taylor into the bottom left hand corner.

It was rough justice on Northern Ireland who up until that point looked like they might just have done enough to earn an ever so rare competitive victory on the road.

The opening 45 minutes were largely scrappy with both sides creating little.

Slovenia had penalty claims brushed away on 17 minutes when Dedic went down under a Chris Baird challenge.

And two minutes after that at the other end Gareth McAuley crossed from the right for Kyle Lafferty only for the ball to sail wide of the right post.

That was the spur for Northern Ireland to finally come into the game with a Keith Gillespie cross from the right flank causing a few anxious moments when fired the wrong side of the post by Steve Davis.

Then, with three minutes of the half left, George McCartney delivered the ball from the left but Lafferty was unable to keep his subsequent header down.

Around the hour mark David Healy, up until that point well marshalled by the Slovenian defence, grabbed a glimpse of goal - albeit from distance - and made Handanovic work for the save.

This was followed swiftly by perhaps the chance of the game when Lafferty found himself one-on-one with the 'keeper only to see his effort blocked.

And another chance followed on 77 minutes when Evans almost handed Northern Ireland the lead only to scuff his shot from a Keith Gillespie free-kick presenting home 'keeper Handanovic with the easiest of saves.

Slovenia: Handanovic, Brecko, Komac, Suler, Cesar, Sisic, Koren, Novakovic, Dedic, Kirm, Ilic subs Seliga, Morec, Ljubijankic, Birsa, Jokic, Matic, Zlogar

Northern Ireland: Taylor, McAuley, Hughes, Evans, McCartney, Gillespie, Baird, Davis, McCann, Lafferty, Healy subs Mannus, McGiven, O'Connor, Feeney, Shiels, Paterson, Thompson