CHRISTIE CAPS PERFECT WEEK
N IRELAND U21s 1 SCOTLAND U21s 2
SCOTLAND got their Euro 2017 qualifying campaign off to the prefect start with a win in Lurgan against their 10-men hosts.
Ricky Sbragia’s first competitive game in charge of the Under-21s offered glimpses of potential with goals from new Celtic signing Ryan Christie and Ryan Fraser, giving the Scots the points.
Despite going down 1-0 after seven minutes after Mikhail Kennedy bundled in from a few yards out, the former Sunderland boss praised the resilience of his squad.
He said: ‘I think there is a big future here. And the great thing is they play every week.
‘(Ryan) Gauld is exceptional and Christie has been fantastic with the way he has handled himself. He’s been great.
‘We spoke to him this morning and asked him how he was and he was really up for it.
‘The three Ryans were excellent. They are really good players and their movement and combination play was good to see.
‘I am so pleased because to come here and be 1-0 down after seven minutes, then it becomes difficult, but credit to them because they buckled down and got on with it.’
Charlton striker Kennedy opened the scoring on seven minutes after Alloa’s on-loan midfielder Michael Duffy got in behind Callum Paterson to deliver the perfect cross for him to force over the line.
Scotland drew level in the 32nd minute after Jason Cummings teed up Christie and the midfielder flashed a superb angled right-foot shot into the net.
Scotland were dominant even before the hosts were reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute when Dale Gorman was shown his second yellow card.
The visitors took the lead four minutes after that, when Gauld played a perfectly-weighted pass for Fraser to tuck a fine finish under the keeper.
It was the ideal end to the week for Christie, who insisted after the game how determined he was to play.
He said: ‘That just about caps off the perfect week for me. The start of it was pretty manic and hectic and, at first, my head was all over the place because everything was rushed.
‘That result can be a pick-me-up after the full side lost to Georgia. We’re already looking forward to meeting up for the next qualifiers in October. If we do well against France and Iceland at Pittodrie, we have a real chance of qualifying and that would lift spirits through all the Scotland teams.’
NORTHERN IRELAND (4-4-2): Brennan; Dummigan, Johnson, Sendles-White, Conlan (Sharpe 74); McLaughlin, Donnelly, Gorman, Duffy (McDaid 87); Kennedy, McCartan (Maloney 60).
Subs not used: Mitchell, Singleton, Cooper, McKnight. Booked: Kennedy, Gorman. Donnelly. Sent off: Gorman. SCOTLAND (4-2-3-1): Hamilton; Paterson, Findlay, McGhee, McFadzean; Souttar, McGinn; Christie (Nicholson 81), Gauld, Fraser (King 85); Cummings (Shankland 75).
Subs not used: Henley, Fulton, Hendrie, Love.
Booked: Souttar, McFadzean, McGhee.
Referee: A Treimanis (LVA).