Mixed fortunes for our internationals

Last updated : 08 September 2007 By Tony Scholes
Joey Gudjonsson
Joey Gudjonsson - in the Iceland side that drew with Spain
Iceland weren't considered to have much of a chance against Spain tonight, even though they were at home in Reykjavik, but a goal five minutes before half time came close to causing an upset and Joey Gudjonsson played a major part in it.

He got down the right wing and got over a brilliant cross to the far post that was met by Emil Hallfredsson with a diving header and he left Iker Casillas with no hope as he got his header back across the keeper. Joey was substituted with eleven minutes to go but on 86 minutes Andrés Iniesta salvaged a vital point for Spain.

In Latvia there was no joy for our Irish trio. Michael Duff and Kyle Lafferty both played in a game that Northern Ireland really needed to win to keep their qualification hopes alive. But they fell to a 1-0 defeat following a Chris Baird own goal ten minutes into the second half. Kyle was substituted with eighteen minutes to go but Duff, in a central defensive role, played the entire ninety minutes.

Steve Jones had to settle for a place on the bench without being called upon, and that was also the case for Gary Alexander as Scotland beat Lithuania 3-1 at Hampden Park. Had he got on the pitch he would have become only the fourth Burnley player ever to represent Scotland at full international level, and the first since Willie Morgan.

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