Wales and Scotland win as Northern Ireland frustrated
Scotland defeat Czech Republic
Rejuvenated Scotland fought and scraped their way to an eighth game unbeaten with a 1-0 Nations League win over the Czech Republic at Hampden Park. Attacker Ryan Fraser drove the home side into the lead in the sixth minute and could have added a second but the slick-moving visitors dominated for large spells and missed a series of chances either side of the break. Steve Clarke’s team were not much of an attacking threat after half-time – although substitute Oli McBurnie hit the bar late on – and it was backs-to-the-wall defending at times. But the home side held out to keep them at the top of Group B2 with 10 points from four games.
Wales snatch win against Bulgaria
Jonny Williams’ first international goal gave Wales a 1-0 Nations League win over Bulgaria in Sofia. Wales went back to the top of Group B4 with 10 points from four games after Finland had moved onto nine earlier with a 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland. It was a familiar sinking feeling for Bulgaria, who lost in Cardiff last month when Neco Williams struck in stoppage time, heading home namesake Jonny Williams’ cross. Five weeks on, the favour was returned as Neco Williams crossed five minutes from time and Jonny Williams, winning his 25th cap, swept home superbly at the near post. Wales also had the satisfaction of keeping a sixth consecutive clean sheet in competitive football.
Northern Ireland left frustrated by Norway
Northern Ireland’s Nations League frustrations continued as a Stuart Dallas own goal condemned them to a 1-0 defeat to Norway in Oslo. A Northern Ireland side featuring 10 changes from that beaten by Austria on Sunday battled hard and created several chances in the first half, but were undone in cruel fashion as Martin Odegaard’s 67th minute corner span off the arm of substitute Dallas to find the corner of the net. It was a seventh defeat in eight for Northern Ireland in this competition, keeping them bottom of League B1, though Ian Baraclough will take some encouragement from how some of his squad players stood up to a team that won 5-1 in Belfast last month. With focus already firmly on next month’s Euro 2020 qualifying play-off final against Slovakia, that was arguably more important than the result here and there were positive signs from the likes of Daniel Ballard, Tom Flanagan and Michael Smith.
Republic of Ireland haunted by Jensen again
Fredrik Jensen returned to haunt the Republic of Ireland as he fired Finland to Nations League victory in Helsinki. The Augsburg striker, who scored the only goal in a 1-0 win in Dublin last month, repeated the dose with a 66th-minute strike following an error by keeper Darren Randolph in front of a crowd of around 8,000 at the Olympic Stadium to complete a miserable October for Stephen Kenny's men. His decisive intervention in the League B, Group 4 clash came just three minutes after full-back Enda Stevens had hit the crossbar at the other end, but although Ireland gave as good as they got for long periods, their wait for a goal extended to 390 minutes of football since Shane Duffy's late equaliser in Bulgaria. New manager Kenny has seen his first five games pass without a win and while there were positives - 21-year-old debutant Dara O'Shea performed admirably alongside Duffy in central defence - the dearth of goals which last week ended hopes of a Euro 2020 finals berth is a lingering concern.