Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
GORDON BENNETT! STRACHAN WANTS ENGLAND TO WIN
I’d like it to happen – I just can’t do anything about it!
“Slovakia have been fantastic and they have some good players, but we’re hoping that we’ll be in a position that our good players will be all right against theirs when we get together again.
“England have got to be on their toes because, if they lose to Slovakia, that’ll put them a point behind.”
If Scotland do manage to win their remaining games, it will be the first time they have won four matches on the bounce in a World Cup qualifying group.
Striker Chris Martin is hoping he can be paired with Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths to maul Malta.
He said: “I would like to think we could form a decent partnership.
“He’s had a spell down in England that maybe wasn’t as successful as he’s been up here, but he’s a totally different player to the one that was at Wolves.
“We saw the quality he’s got in that England game.” TWO-GOAL hero Josh Magennis has backed Northern Ireland to cope with the pressure of tomorrow’s crunch World Cup showdown.
Michael O’Neill’s men, fresh from Friday night’s 3-0 win over San Marino know a draw at Windsor Park will guarantee second place in Group C.
With three games to play, a play-off spot for Russia and a first World Cup appearance since Billy Bingham’s sides of 1982 and 1986 is within reach.
Charlton striker Magennis, who scored his second and third international goals against San Marino, said: “Expectation is high but if you can’t handle the pressure of the fans wanting the national team to do well you are in the wrong sport.”