An epic, a classic, it was a night Northern Ireland will never forget and one that Wales will not want to remember.
Reduced to nine men for 69 minutes plus the four and more added on at the end by a most dubious Italian referee, Northern Ireland produced one of their greatest performances for years not only to thwart Wales but to restore pride battered by the 3-0 home defeat by Poland last Saturday.
This was heroic endeavour and that the Irish could go from one end of the spectrum to the other in terms of quality was only one of the features of a remarkable evening.
Lawrie Sanchez's team arrived in Cardiff as 7-1 outsiders but were two up by the 21st minute. Sadly for them they were also two down in terms of personnel by then.
David Healy had scored the visitors' second but he subsequently became the second Irishman to be sent off by the referee Domenico Messina. Twelve minutes earlier Messina had dismissed Michael Hughes and shown Robbie Savage the Welsh midfielder's first-ever red card.
Hughes had cut Savage down with a two-footed tackle and Savage retaliated. Both had to go and Savage will endure the repercussions - he will miss the England game at Old Trafford next month.
Michael Hughes will miss the trip to Azerbaijan but the Irish Football Association will check with Uefa today about Healy's sending-off. Once Healy had rounded Paul Jones to nod in Northern Ireland's second goal he ran to the corner flag and kicked it out. He was in front of exclusively Welsh fans and Messina obviously thought the celebration excessive.
A yellow card was shown and then Messina brought out the red after Healy made a gesture to the crowd that the Italian construed as abusive. Once that was shown Healy was staggered. But he had to stagger off and Northern Ireland had to dig in.
This they did magnificently. Wales had a man advantage but in the hour and more that followed it rarely showed.
Part of that was due to Wales's own mediocrity. Only Craig Bellamy threatened the Irish consistently and dangerously. But the greater part was down to the nine Northern Irish players, each of whom was relentless in his determination.
Tony Capaldi, who plays for Plymouth Argyle, was possibly the pick of them. The full-back played in about three positions on the left flank and forced Jones into more saves than any other of the visitors.
Capaldi had created the night's first chance with a corner that James Quinn headed narrowly wide after five minutes.
The Irish had begun brightly and Jones was soon busy - handling the ball outside his area. Jones was not even booked for this and that indirectly led to the Hughes and Savage mêlée because Messina had clearly lost control of a drop-ball situation.
Just as the stadium buzzed with those two red cards Jeff Whitley stepped up to jink and drill in a shot from 18 yards. Whitley's shooting against the Poles had been woeful, so this was a shock.
Wales were stunned. This was meant to be a home banker and not long after they were two behind. Healy was a more predictable scorer, profiting from James Collins' slip to lob Jones and then head in.
But his dismissal gave the Welsh heart as well as numerical superiority. Mark Hughes withdrew Mark Delaney for Robert Earnshaw almost immediately and Wales set about a siege.
When John Hartson rose to head in a Bellamy cross just past the half-hour it seemed as though Wales were at last back on track.
But their passing was poor thereafter and players like Jason Koumas did not reveal their guile.
For Northern Ireland's resilient defence there were too many easy high balls to clear and it was the enterprising Capaldi who looked a more likely scorer than anyone. But then John Oster swung in a centre from the right that Earnshaw met with an emphatic header.
There were 16 minutes left and Wales sensed a winner but there was to be only one more opportunity carved out when, with two minutes to go, Bellamy burst into the area and sent a shot across the six-yard box.
Collins was on the end of it but stumbled and missed. It was painful for Wales but justice for the Irish.
Wales had not deserved to win but Northern Ireland certainly did not deserve to lose.
Wales (4-4-2): Jones (Wolves); Delaney (Aston Villa; Earnshaw, West Bromwich, 28), Collins (Cardiff), Gabbidon (Cardiff), Thatcher (Man City; Parry , Cardiff, 63); Oster (Sunderland), Savage (Birmingham), Speed (Bolton), Koumas (West Bromwich); Bellamy (Newcastle), Hartson (Celtic).
Booked: Hartson.
Sent off: Savage.
Northern Ireland (5-3-2): Taylor (Birmingham); Clyde (Wolves), Williams (MK Dons), A Hughes (Newcastle), Murdock (Hibs), Capaldi (Plymouth); Johnson (Birmingham), Whitley (Sunderland), M Hughes (Crystal Palace); Quinn (Willem II, Smith , Preston, 58), Healy (Preston).
Booked: Taylor, Capaldi.
Sent off: M Hughes, Healy.
Referee: D Messina (Italy).
