Northern Ireland U21s went down 6-0 to a classy Spain side in Friday afternoon's UEFA Euro U21 qualifier at Inver Park in Larne.
Spain went ahead through an Abel Ruiz header before Rodrigo Riquelme, Juan Miranda, Victor Gómez, and a double from Tottenham Hotspur forward Bryan Gil ensured an emphatic win.
The defeat ends any slim mathematical chance John Schofield's side had of reaching next year's finals in Romania and Georgia.
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Schofield handed an U21 debut to Leeds United midfielder Charlie Allen, while Manchester United's Ethan Galbraith captained the side and his Old Trafford colleague Dermot Mee started in goal.
The Spanish side, featuring three senior internationals, were already guaranteed to top Group C before the match and they showed why with a brilliant display of incisive attacking football.
The visitors hit the woodwork four times in the first half as they laid siege to the NI goal and should have scored in the second minute when Gil was clean through but NI keeper Mee made a smart stop.
Northern Ireland 's best chance of the game came just moments later when Terry Devlin robbed the Spanish of possession high up the pitch, but the Dungannon Swifts teenager was denied by a smart stop from Arnau Tenas.
Braga striker Ruiz, who also netted in Spain's 3-0 win in the reverse fixture in Seville last October, opened the scoring when he planted a firm header past Mee from a teasing Miranda cross.
Riquelme was left cursing his luck after he hit both posts either side of a sublime Ruiz volley that crashed back off the crossbar. A busy Mee also did well to tip another effort onto the post after his own defender deflected a cross goalwards.
Northern Ireland were relieved to reach half-time just one goal behind, but the floodgates well and truly opened in the second-half when Spain found their clinical edge.
Gil smashed into the roof of Mee's net from an acute angle as the NI defence appealed for offside and got his second 10 minutes later with a simple back post finish.
Miranda got the fourth when he drilled in off the post and then Riquelme made it five when he outpaced Jack Scott down the Spanish left before nutmegging Mee.
Spain continued to dominate and Gómez wrapped up the scoring when he tapped in after Sergio Camello's initial effort hit the post.
The 1,100 home fans had little to cheer, although substitute Barry Baggley drew a great save from Tenas with a fabulous effort from 25 yards.
Northern Ireland finish their Euro fixtures with a visit to Lithuania on Tuesday and boss Schofield will be hoping for a win to clinch third place in the group, with Slovakia now guaranteed second.
TEAM
NI: Mee; Scott, Balmer, McClelland, Donnelly, Stewart; Devlin (Smyth 59'), Galbraith (c) (Boyle 77'), Allen (McGuckin 59'); McKee (McGovern 59'), Taylor (Baggley 59'). Unused subs: Walsh (GK), Crowe, McGovern, McGuckin, Boyle
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