The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Buoyant Welsh see win come too late
SCOTLAND ENGLAND
England concluded their European Under-21 Championship qualification campaign unbeaten with a convincing 2-0 win over their Scotland counterparts at Tynecastle.
The much-changed visitors had already qualified for next summer’s finals in Italy and San Marino with seven wins and two draws in their previous fixtures.
They bossed the match against their old rivals, but it took until the hour-mark to get the opener through a textbook curling free-kick from attacker Reiss Nelson, then midfielder Kieran Dowell fired in a second in added time.
Scot Gemmill’s side, who had no chance of qualification from Group D, struggled with the power, pace and strength of the visitors who are now 35 games unbeaten in qualifiers.
Gemmill made three changes to his side with keeper Ross Doohan, Oliver Shaw and Billy Gilmour coming in while England boss Aidy Boothroyd changed his whole side apart from goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
The Three Lions dominated the first-half which began with Doohan making comfortable saves from Harvey Barnes’ 25-yard drive and a header from striker Tammy Abraham.
England tightened their grip on the game and in the 27th minute Dowell’s corner from the right was met by the towering captain and defender Jake Clarke-Salter but he headed over the bar.
Seconds later Scotland captain Ross McCrorie volleyed over the bar from eight yards following a David Bates knock-down from a Lewis Morgan free-kick.
The visitors sped up the other end but Barnes lifted his shot over the bar from inside the box after being set up by Abraham.
As the pressure began to intensify the home side escaped again when the Chelsea striker, on loan at Aston Villa, volleyed a Barnes cross wide of the target from 10 yards before his deflected drive from 14 yards was blocked by the foot of Doohan.
There was no respite for the Scots as a glancing
GERMANY REPUBLICOFIRELAND 2 0
First-half goals from Janni Serra and Levin Oztunali ensured the Republic of Ireland’s European Under21s Championship qualifying campaign ended in defeat in Germany.
The pair struck inside eight minutes before the header from forward Dominic Solanke just cleared the bar before midfielder Joshua Onomah fired another effort wide.
The second-half continued along similar lines.
Doohan dived down to his right to push a low drive from Barnes round the post before Scotland survived a couple of corners.
The young Scots could barely get out of their own half and after McCrorie was break to clinch a 2-0 victory in Heidenheim, but Noel King’s men were far better in the second half and were denied a consolation strike when Ryan Delaney hit the woodwork as time ran down.
Group 5 leaders Germany wasted little time in taking the game to Ireland, forcing early corners and pressing the visitors’ deep in their own half.
Abdelhamid Sabiri and Oztunali both had shots blocked before the home side broke booked for fouling Dowell 30 yards from goal when Bates’s pass had put him under pressure, Nelson, on loan to Hoffenheim from Arsenal, curled in a wonderful free-kick that gave Doohan no chance.
England refused to allow the home side to get into the game and in yet another attack by the visitors, Solanke’s untidy back post header appeared to come off the post. the deadlock with 31 minutes gone as Serra tapped home Phillipp Ochs’ cross.
It was 2-0 within eight minutes when Oztunali blasted into the top corner from just outside the penalty area to put the hosts firmly in the driving seat.
The Germans repeatedly threatened to extend their advantage as the second half got under way with Maximilian Mittelstadt and substitute Luca Waldschmidt prominent, although Ireland
A rare Scotland foray in the 84th minute saw Henderson, until then a spectator, save Morgan’s angleddrive before Bates’ header from the corner landed on top of the net.
Dowell made certain of a deserved England win, however, with a thunderous drive from outside the box in the two minutes of added time and there could have been no Scotland complaints. started to come into the game with Corey Whelan heading wide from a Jordan Shipley corner.
They might have gained some reward by reducing the deficit at the death, but Delaney was unfortunate to see his effort come back off the post.
WALES SWITZERLAND 3 1
Wales Under-21s’ unsuccessful qualification campaign for next summer’s European Under-21 Championship ended on the positive note of a 3-1 victory over Switzerland Under-21s at Rodney Parade.
On Friday they had lost 2-0 away to Romania and were already out of contention to qualify for the eight-nation competition, but Wales started impressively and as though that remained their goal.
Two first-half finishes in three minutes, from Joseff Morrell and Connor Evans, gave them the platform to chase three encouraging points.
Switzerland’s Andi Zeqiri responded for the visitors in the final 15 minutes, but Evans scored once again to ensure victory for Rob Page’s team, who had also won 3-0 in Switzerland last September but have since lost influential players to Ryan Giggs’ senior squad.
Tyler Roberts, David Brooks, George Thomas, Harry Wilson, Chris Mepham, Matthew Smith, Joe Rodon and Daniel James are among those to have been promoted to the full squad since the Under-21s’ qualification campaign began.
James’ call-up came for Tuesday evening’s Nations League fixture away to the Republic of Ireland, following Aaron Ramsey’s withdrawal through injury.
Wales’ victory means they finish fourth in Group B, behind firstplaced Romania, Portugal, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Northern Ireland, meanwhile, sealed second spot in Group 2 with a 1-0 win at home to Slovakia thanks to a goal from Mark Sykes but missed out on a play-off spot as other results went against them.