David Healy has brought out a DVD of his greatest goals and he might be advised to let Roy Keane have a copy after spurning an opportunity to remind the Sunderland manager of what he is capable of.

Healy’s prolific international record cuts little ice with Keane, who has yet to give the forward a Barclays Premier League start since his £1.2 million summer arrival from Fulham. At the very best he can expect a bench-warming stint at home to West Ham United on Sunday, at worst, another afternoon with his feet up. These are frustrating times for the 29-year-old, who has been advised by Nigel Worthington, the Northern Ireland manager, that he might be advised to move again to further his stagnating career.

Like many of his international team-mates, most of Healy’s action this season has come via country rather than club, and on a bitter Belfast evening against a Hungary side whose collective body language suggested that they would rather be anywhere else, this goes down as a chance missed to press his domestic claims in a turgid friendly. Keane’s scouts saw nothing to suggest an urgent need for Healy’s inclusion at the weekend.

Healy was not immune from criticism as Worthington left his players in little doubt as to his thoughts afterwards, warning them that a repeat performance against San Marino in February is likely to end in humiliation. “The fitness levels looked awful and that’s not good enough, it was embarrassing,” the manager said. “That’s as bad a performance since I’ve been in charge. If you’re not fit then you’re going to be second best. I’m not going to name names, you can work out who they are. It’s down to the players. It takes extra training and dedication.”

Before his late substitution after earning a second-half booking, Healy could only look on in envy at the kind of service his Hungary counterparts enjoyed. The scraps he relied on were at best modest, with the clearest opening arriving early in the second half when he headed Keith Gillespie’s knock-back straight at Gabor Babos, the goalkeeper, from close range.

Sandor Torghelle showed him how it should be done, poking home the opening goal after 57 minutes, before Zoltan Gera, the Fulham midfield player, doubled the advantage from distance past Maik Taylor, the home team’s goalkeeper, with 20 minutes remaining.

Northern Ireland (4-4-2): M Taylor (sub: J Tuffey, 46min) - M Duff (sub: N McGinn, 55min), C Baird, J Evans, R McGivern - K Gillespie, M O’Connor, S Clingan, C Brunt (sub: M Paterson, 70) - K Lafferty (sub: W Feeney, 46), D Healy (sub: P Thompson, 88). Substitutes not used: A Mannus, D Shiels. Booked: Lafferty, Healy.

Hungary (4-4-2): G Babos - L Bodnar, V Vanczak, R Juhasz, P Halmosi - Z Gera, B Toth (sub: P Dardai, 88), K Vadocz, S Huszti (sub: B Dzsudzsak, 84) - G Rudolf, S Torghelle (sub: R Feczesin, 81). Substitutes not used: M Fulop, K Vermes, G Horvath, A Szalai.

Referee: R Schörgenhofer (Austria).