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By Alvin McCaig
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 Jonny Evans volleyed home from close range for Northern Ireland's second
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Northern Ireland's hopes of making the World Cup finals were boosted by an impressive win at a sunny Windsor Park.
Warren Feeney finished from close range after 10 minutes but Poland levelled when Maik Taylor failed to keep out Ireneusz Jelen's shot.
Jonny Evans slid in to restore the lead and Northern Ireland went further ahead when Michal Zewlakow's backpass bobbled past keeper Artur Boruc.
Marek Saganowski pulled one back with a header but Northern Ireland held on.
The result took Nigel Worthington's side to the top of Group 3 and they will now look to further improve their position when they take on Slovenia on Wednesday.
They made a positive start to the game when a superb Chris Brunt pass sent Feeney clear after three minutes but the Dundee United striker fired just wide.
An under-hit back-pass from Michal Zewlakow let in Healy five minutes later but the usually deadly marksman struck a weak shot which was kept out by Celtic keeper Boruc before the ball was scrambled away.
The deserved breakthrough came, however, when Boruc failed to collect Brunt's high cross to the back-post and Damien Johnston headed back to give Feeney the simple task of tapping in from four yards.
Poland levelled with their first meaningful attack as Jelen beat the offside trap, raced clear and produced a shot of such power that Taylor could only slow the ball down on its way into the net.
Play was stopped for over two minutes after an assistant referee was struck on the head by a coin, thrown from a section containing Northern Ireland fans.
When the action resumed, the tireless Feeney twice fired wide before the break as the home side failed to make their dominance count.
That all changed at the start of the second half when Grant McCann sent in an inswinging corner and Manchester United defender Evans supplied the volleyed finish from six yards.
Brunt then picked up a yellow card for a clumsy tackle which means he will miss the qualifier against Slovenia.
Luck favoured the hosts on 61 minutes when Boruc attempted to clear from a routine back-pass from Zewlakow but the ball bobbled over his swinging foot before rolling into an empty net.
Poland went close to pulling a goal back in the 78th minute with Southampton's Marek Saganowski heading wide at the back-post.
But he made no mistake in the first minute of added time as he dived to head the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards.
Northern Ireland: Taylor, McAuley, Craigan, Hughes, Evans, Johnson, Clingan, McCann, Brunt, Healy, Feeney.
Poland: Boruc, Wasilewski, Dudka, Zewlakow, Wawrzyniak, M Lewandowski, Roger, Krzynowek, Bandrowski, R Lewandowski, Jelen.
Referee: Martin Hansson (Sweden)
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