Healy penalty miss lets Scots off the hook

GEORGE BURLEY was left still seeking his first win as Scotland manager heading into next month’s World Cup qualifiers after being held to a goalless stalemate by Northern Ireland at Hampden.

Previous encounters against Croatia and the Czech Republic had yielded a draw and a defeat respectively ahead of last night’s clash, with a crucial double-header against Macedonia and Iceland looming.

The Scots’ cause was aided when Ryan McGivern was dismissed early in the second half, but it was the Irish who could have claimed the win had David Healy successfully converted from the penalty spot.

Burley was pleased with the workout and felt his side were just lacking a cutting edge.

“It was a good exercise,” Burley said. “We were able to blood one or two new players. We had a look at some partnerships, passed it quite well at times. It was just we lacked a little bit of the cutting edge. .

Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington was delighted with how his gameplan worked out.

He said: “It was a very solid performance. We set our stall out with the shape to try to get something from the game to look forward to the World Cup campaign.”

Burley was keen to see James McFadden back shirt after he had missed the last two games and the Birmingham forward was involved in most of the home side’s attacks.

He set up Kenny Miller for the shot in front of goal but Sammy Clingan was first to the ball to clear the danger.

Manchester City’s McGivern made his debut for the Irish and quickly became embroiled in a battle with Scott Brown, escaping punishment for an earlier challenge before earning the first booking of the game for a second foul on the Celtic midfielder.

After the break Scottish substitute Barry Robson almost had an immediate impact on the game with a superbly struck effort from distance, which whistled inches over.

McGivern had looked assured in the left-back berth but the 18-year-old’s debut quickly turned into a night to forget when he was sent off with 56 minutes gone for a second bookable offence after hauling down Brown.

There was further drama just three minutes later when McGregor conceded a penalty by felling substitute Warren Feeney only to make amends seconds later by diving to his right to pull off an excellent save to deny Healy.

Only the heroics of Taylor prevented McFadden from snatching a winner.

Robson’s corner was nodded on by Barr and the Birmingham forward’s ferocious shot was denied by an impressive block from Taylor.

SCOTLAND: Gordon (McGregor 46), Alexander, McManus, Weir (Berra 72), Naysmith, Brown, Thomson (Robson 46), Darren Fletcher, Morrison (Commons 62), Miller (Barr 46), McFadden.

NORTHERN IRELAND: Taylor, McAuley (Duff 76), Evans, Craigan, McGivern, Baird, Clingan (O’Connor 78), Davis (Feeney 78), Brunt, Healy, Paterson.

Referee: Nicolai Vollquartz (Denmark).