McIlroy's banking on Irish spirit

Sammy McIlroy believes Northern Ireland still have the kind of spirit that rocked Spain 20 years ago.

McIlroy was part of the side that caused one of biggest upsets in World Cup history when they defeated the hosts in Valencia.

Now the two sides square up again tomorrow in a Euro 2004 qualifier in Albacete.

The Irish are again huge underdogs going into their opening qualifying game. They are ranked 98 in the world while Spain lie in second spot.

When they last met, in Belfast, Spain won at a canter but McIlroy remains in upbeat mood ahead of the qualifier.

“This Spanish side is a far better side than the one we played 20 years ago,” he said.

“Our spirit is still there and it will be there tomorrow. We rely on our spirit and our commitment.

“If we stand off and let them play we will get badly beaten. But at the end of the day the best players in the world don’t like getting rattled.

“I feel we are stronger than the last time we played Spain, so hopefully we can put on a better performance.

“We lost 5-0 that day but for half an hour we did very well. If you look at the goals conceded, they were from set pieces and mistakes.

“We have a plan and we will try and close them down. It worked quite well in Denmark.

“They are a fantastic side, very tough and very physical, so we have a job on and hopefully we can see it through.”

McIlroy’s attacking options could be limited as Willem 11 striker James Quinn has an ankle injury.

“He joined in the training session but he is a bit of a concern at the moment, “ said the Irish boss.

McIlroy is without three defenders for the match with Danny Griffin, Mark Williams and Peter Kennedy all ruled out.

Shaun Holmes of Wrexham linked up with the squad yesterday and is likely to be on the bench.

A double bonus for McIlroy is that defender Gerry Taggart and midfielder Steve Lomas are both fit after injury problems.

Lomas will captain the side tomorrow – and Aaron Hughes is delighted the two players are back on board.

“You need your experienced players against quality opposition, so it is great that Gerry and Steve are here,” said the Newcastle defender, who was the captain the last time they met Spain.

“They are hardened professionals and the kind of guys you need in a game like this,” he said. “We have to be on our mettle.

“We just have to go about our game and get rattled into them. We have to get at them early.

“We saw what they could do in Belfast. We did well for half an hour, then they stepped up a gear.

“While I didn’t enjoy the result, I enjoyed being captain. It was a good learning experience for me.”

N Ireland (probable): Taylor (Fulham), Murdock (Preston), A Hughes (Newcastle), Taggart (Leicester), Gillespie (Blackburn), Horlock (Man City), Mulryne (Norwich), Lomas (West Ham), Johnson (Birmingham), Healey (Preston), McVeigh (Norwich).