UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifier
Iceland 2-0 Scotland
Wednesday, 5 October 2016, kick-off 3.30pm (local time)
Víkingsvöllur, Iceland


Thrandarson 47, Omarsson 66

Two second-half goals handed Iceland a 2-0 win over Scotland at the wind-swept Víkingsvöllur this evening.

With Scotland already out of the running for a place at next summer’s finals, new coach Scot Gemmill handed eight players their first Scotland Under-21 starts, with three more coming off the bench to earn their first caps as he looked to make a head start on the Euro 2019 qualifiers which begin next September.

Despite an impressive first-half display, Scotland conceded an early goal shortly after the interval when Aron Thrandarson fired the ball home from close range.

Scotland were handed a glorious chance to get back into the game when they were awarded a penalty kick moments later but Swansea City striker Oliver McBurnie’s strike was well saved by Runar Runarsson in the Iceland goal.

Elias Omarsson doubled Iceland’s lead on 66 minutes although Celtic’s Liam Henderson almost dragged Scotland back into the match minutes later when his long-range effort cannoned off the cross bar.

Liverpool goalkeeper Ryan Fulton made a string of excellent stops late in the game as Iceland tried to make sure of all three points.

The win moved Iceland top of Group 3 with just one match remaining with Scotland lying in fifth place.

Scotland travel to second-placed FYR Macedonia for their final match of this qualification campaign on Tuesday with their opponents, Iceland and France all pushing for first place and a guaranteed place the finals in Poland next summer.

SCOTLAND | Fulton, McGhee (Cpt), Cameron, Henderson, Iacovitti, Jules, Nesbitt (Sammut 69), Hardie, McBurnie (Wighton 78), Jones, Docherty (Burt 63).

Subs not used: Hurst, Storie, MacDonald, Sheppard.