SCOTLAND SURRENDERED A two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Austria in an entertaining friendly at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion.
Visiting goalkeeper Craig Gordon kept the hosts at bay before Jack Hendry headed Steve Clarke’s side into the lead after 28 minutes following a corner from John McGinn, who had missed a couple of early opportunities.
The Aston Villa midfielder made no mistake with another chance after 56 minutes but Michael Gregoritsch pulled a goal back 20 minutes later and – with eight minutes remaining – with the nervy Scots disjointed, fellow substitute Alessandro Schopf levelled, to leave the visitors hanging on for a draw.
After a 1-1 draw with Poland at Hampden Park last Thursday, Scotland have six wins and a two draws from their last eight matches and can start looking forward to the World Cup play-off semi-final against Ukraine, pencilled in for June, with Wales awaiting the winners in the final, albeit Clarke will know improvement is required.
There was little appetite for the game in Austria after the hosts’ chances of reaching the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar were ended by Wales in the play-off semi-final last week.
Afterwards Austria manager Franco Foda announced he would be standing down after the game.
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Rubin Colwill scored his first international goal as Wales extended their unbeaten home record to 18 games with a 1-1 friendly draw against the Czech Republic in Cardiff.
Rubin Colwill celebrates scoring. PA
PA
Tomas Soucek put the visitors ahead in the first half, but Colwill instantly replied with a strike as clinical as his FA Cup goal for Cardiff at Liverpool last month.
It was a special night for Wayne Hennessey who became the third Welshman to win 100 caps after Chris Gunter and Gareth Bale.
The game had been arranged at short notice following the postponement of the Scotland-Ukraine World Cup play-off, with Wales awaiting the winners of that tie.
Wales made 10 changes from the side that had secured a World Cup play-off final place by beating Austria on Thursday, with skipper Bale among those rested.
Hungary capitalised on a mistake from Niall McGinn to edge out Northern Ireland 1-0 at Windsor Park.
Niall McGinn in action for Northern Ireland. PA
PA
Dundee winger McGinn undersold Bailey Peacock-Farrell with a back-pass, allowing Roland Sallai to nip in and score with 56 minutes gone.
Up until that point Northern Ireland had looked the more dangerous side with captain Steven Davis hitting the outside of the post and McGinn himself going close, but they could not find a response as Hungary goalkeeper Denes Dibusz made a flurry of saves in a frantic finish.
Even so, this was arguably a better performance than the one that brought victory over Luxembourg on Friday, with Northern Ireland proving a decent match for a side bound for Nations League A – and a group shared by England, Italy and Germany – this summer.
This week on the Front Row – The42’s new rugby podcast in partnership with Guinness – panellist Eimear Considine makes a welcome return… and she’s brought her Ireland roommate, Hannah O’Connor, along too. They chat about broken noses, tanning routines, initiation songs and balancing the Women’s Six Nations with teaching, plus how one fan named her child after Ireland winger Beibhinn Parsons! Click here to subscribe or listen below:
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Scotland surrender two-goal lead against Austria, Wales draw with Czech Republic
SCOTLAND SURRENDERED A two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Austria in an entertaining friendly at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion.
Visiting goalkeeper Craig Gordon kept the hosts at bay before Jack Hendry headed Steve Clarke’s side into the lead after 28 minutes following a corner from John McGinn, who had missed a couple of early opportunities.
The Aston Villa midfielder made no mistake with another chance after 56 minutes but Michael Gregoritsch pulled a goal back 20 minutes later and – with eight minutes remaining – with the nervy Scots disjointed, fellow substitute Alessandro Schopf levelled, to leave the visitors hanging on for a draw.
After a 1-1 draw with Poland at Hampden Park last Thursday, Scotland have six wins and a two draws from their last eight matches and can start looking forward to the World Cup play-off semi-final against Ukraine, pencilled in for June, with Wales awaiting the winners in the final, albeit Clarke will know improvement is required.
There was little appetite for the game in Austria after the hosts’ chances of reaching the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar were ended by Wales in the play-off semi-final last week.
Afterwards Austria manager Franco Foda announced he would be standing down after the game.
Rubin Colwill scored his first international goal as Wales extended their unbeaten home record to 18 games with a 1-1 friendly draw against the Czech Republic in Cardiff.
Tomas Soucek put the visitors ahead in the first half, but Colwill instantly replied with a strike as clinical as his FA Cup goal for Cardiff at Liverpool last month.
It was a special night for Wayne Hennessey who became the third Welshman to win 100 caps after Chris Gunter and Gareth Bale.
The game had been arranged at short notice following the postponement of the Scotland-Ukraine World Cup play-off, with Wales awaiting the winners of that tie.
Wales made 10 changes from the side that had secured a World Cup play-off final place by beating Austria on Thursday, with skipper Bale among those rested.
Hungary capitalised on a mistake from Niall McGinn to edge out Northern Ireland 1-0 at Windsor Park.
Dundee winger McGinn undersold Bailey Peacock-Farrell with a back-pass, allowing Roland Sallai to nip in and score with 56 minutes gone.
Up until that point Northern Ireland had looked the more dangerous side with captain Steven Davis hitting the outside of the post and McGinn himself going close, but they could not find a response as Hungary goalkeeper Denes Dibusz made a flurry of saves in a frantic finish.
Even so, this was arguably a better performance than the one that brought victory over Luxembourg on Friday, with Northern Ireland proving a decent match for a side bound for Nations League A – and a group shared by England, Italy and Germany – this summer.
This week on the Front Row – The42’s new rugby podcast in partnership with Guinness – panellist Eimear Considine makes a welcome return… and she’s brought her Ireland roommate, Hannah O’Connor, along too. They chat about broken noses, tanning routines, initiation songs and balancing the Women’s Six Nations with teaching, plus how one fan named her child after Ireland winger Beibhinn Parsons! Click here to subscribe or listen below:
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