The World Cup ambitions of Northern Ireland were brought to an end following a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Italy in their play-off semi-final. Michael O'Neill's team had been striving to secure their first World Cup berth since 1986 but were thwarted by second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean, despite largely containing the four-time winners on their home turf. Italy, who have failed t…