Victory Shield
Scotland 0-1 Northern Ireland
Thursday, 10th October 2024
Broadwood Stadium

Scorers

Scotland 0

Northern Ireland 1 (Coran Madden 18’)

Team News

Stephen Clarke made seven changes from the side that faced Republic of Ireland on Tuesday. In came Ben Vickery, Aaron Thomson, Lucas Weir, Stanley Wilson, Ben Hutton, Jamie Forrest and Cole Hay, replacing Kerr Reynolds, Callan Hamill, Jack Dalziel, Alfie Hutchinson, Conor Daly, Rocco Di Giacomo and Max Cameron in the starting lineup

As It Happened

The first chance of the game fell to Northern Ireland on five  minutes when Coran Madden drove through the midfield. He laid it wide to Eamonn Tohill whose cross found striker Luke Hawe, who swivelled well but his eventual shot was off target.

Northern Ireland continued to threaten without really creating many clear-cut chances. The closest came on 13 minutes when Madden crossed from the right into the feet of Hawe. The striker laid it off to the onrushing Finlay Ross but his shot was well blocked by Jamie Forrest.

The visitors’ early pressure paid off on 18 minutes when the ball dropped to Jay Longridge in the midfield. He played an excellent pass wide to Madden on the right wing who cut inside Oliver Goodbrand and into the Scotland penalty box before finishing expertly with his right foot passed Ben Vickery into the bottom left-hand corner.

Scotland began to get a foothold in the game and almost added an instant equaliser. Nathan Meechan found Lucas Weir on the right with an excellent lofted pass. Weir jinked past his man then whipped a cross on top of keeper Michael Doherty, who spilled it, with the ball just evading Cole Hay at the back post.

Northern Ireland came very close to doubling their lead in the 29th minute when Luke Hawe found himself in space on the right. He wriggled past Aaron Thomson and played a ball across the face of goal which ultimately fell kindly at the hands of keeper Ben Vickery.

Scotland came mightily close to scoring the equaliser again when Goodbrand unleased a right-footed drive from 20 yards out. His effort was saved by Doherty, though the rebound fell to Caelan Cadamarteri on the six-yard line who looked certain to level the match, before Doherty recovered miraculously to keep the score at 1-0.

Just moments later, match referee Jamie McCunnie blew his whistle for half-time with Scotland trailing Northern Ireland 1-0.

Scotland created the first chance of the second half on 46 minutes when Cole Hay whipped in a great corner from the left-hand side. The cross was met by the head of Stanley Wilson, but his header sailed just over Doherty’s crossbar.

Yet another chance fell to the home side on 49 minutes when Lucas Weir drove past his man on the right-hand side before fizzing a cross across the face of goal. The cross fell to Stanley Wilson just inside the box though the midfielder  couldn’t quite connect with his shot with the ball eventually trickling out for a goal-kick.

Both managers turned to their substitutes bench on 51 minutes. Stephen Clarke brought on Alfie Hutchison, Conor Daly and Max Cameron to replace Lucas Weir, Jamie Forrest and Cole Hay. Kris Lindsay brought on Jack May for Eamonn Tohill.

Northern Ireland then missed a big chance to score a second just minutes later when Joel Kerr burst down the left-hand side and with Luke Hawe in the middle it looked to be an easy pick-out, but the winger put too much power on his cross and the ball eventually went out for a Scotland throw.

Both sides once again turned to their benches on 63 minutes with Cadamarteri coming off for Rocco Di Giacomo for Scotland and goalscorer Madden coming off for Emmet Morrison for Northern Ireland.

Scotland continued to push for the equaliser in the closing minutes and came particularly close to scoring on 71 minutes. Nathan Meechan played a brilliant lofted free-kick in towards the back post from the left, with the ball narrowly missing the onrushing Arron McSporran who had managed to get in behind the Northern Ireland defence.

In the dying moments of the match, Scotland looked to have the perfect chance for the equaliser. Conor Daly found himself in space in midfield with Oliver Goodbrand making a good run on the left. He attempted to slip the ball through to the captain though the ball was slightly behind the left back and his eventual shot was easily held by goalkeeper Doherty.

Referee Jamie McUCunie soon after sounded the full-time whistle with Coran Madden’s goal proving to be the difference between the two sides. Scotland created a good number of opportunities and were pushing hard in the second half but could not find that equalising goal.

This result leaves Scotland on three points from two games, as they prepare to take to the field for one final time in this year’s Victory Shield when they face Wales on Sunday afternoon.

Match Report by Mitchell Feggans

Next Up

Scotland Under-16s are in action once again on Sunday morning as they take on Wales in their final game of this year’s Victory Shield.

Teams

Scotland: Vickery, McSporran, Goodbrand, Meechan, Cadamarteri (Di Giacomo 63’), Thomson, Weir (Hutchison 51’), Wilson, Hutton, Forrest (Cameron 51’), Hay (Daly 51’)

Unused Substitutes: Reynolds, Dalziel

Northern Ireland: Doherty, Anderson, Woods, Madden (Morrison 63’), Hawe, Kerr, Cassidy, Campbell, Ross, Tohill (May 51’), Longridge (Sweeney 75’)

Unused Substitutes: Stanfield, Trainor, Murdock, Smyth, Dolan, Gough