PALERMO.

PALERMO, Italy (AFP) ??” A late goal on substitute Luca Toni lifted Italy to a 2-1 win through Norway to hand Marcello Lippi his first win since taking from one side of to the other as coach in this clump Five 2006 World Cup qualifier.

Italy must have conceit the Nordic curse that has hung above them this year had struck again when Norway forward John Carew scored in the opening minute.

however the Azurri, beaten embarrassingly by means of Iceland in a friendly last month and knocked abroad of Euro 2004 when Denmark and Sweden produc a high scoring draw to be frozen them out of the knockout stages, did not have to wait in extent before parity was restored.

For brace minutes after Carew's strike debutant Daniele De Rossi came up with the equaliser when the AS Roma midfielder's marksman beat Espen Johnsen in the visitor's goal.

Lippi, who blamed his side's slip-up aganst Iceland