64 2GM Thursday October 15 2020 | the times
SportNations League
Results
Tennis
ATP Tour, St Petersburg Open round
of 32 (selected results) C Norrie (GB)
bt M Kecmanovic (Serbia) 7-5, 6-7
(5-7), 6-3; (5) S Wawrinka (Switz) bt E
Donskoy (Russ) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.Fixtures
Golf
St Andrews: European Tour, Scottish
Championship first roundRugby league
Betfred Super League Wigan v
Catalans Dragons (5.30); St Helens v
Wakefield (7.45)Pro Cycling) at 57sec; 5, V Nibali (It,
Trek-Segafredo) at 1min 1sec; 6, P
Konrad (Aut, Bora-Hansgrohe) at 1min
15sec; 7, J Hindley (Aus, Team
Sunweb) at 1min 19sec; 8, R Majka (Pol,
Bora-Hansgrohe) at 1min 21sec; 9, F
Masnada (It, Deceuninck-Quick-Step)
at 1min 36sec; 10, H Pernsteiner (Aut,
Bahrain-McLaren) at 1min 52sec.Snooker
Milton Keynes: English Open second
round (selected results, Eng unless
stated) J Trump bt Yuan Sijun (China)
4-3; B Woollaston bt S Bingham 4-2; R
Williams bt M Allen (N Ire) 4-0; K
Wilson bt Gao Yang (China) 4-1; Ding
Junhui (China) bt L Brecel (Bel) 4-1; N
Robertson (Aus) bt M Joyce 4-2; R
O’Sullivan bt R Day (Wales) 4-1; O Lines
wo A McGill (Scot); G Wilson bt R
Walden 4-2.Cricket
Indian Premier League Delhi Capitals
161-7 (Dhawan 57, Iyer 53; Archer 3-19);
Rajasthan Royals 148-8 (Stokes 41,
Buttler 22) Delhi Capitals won by 13
runs.Cycling
Giro d’Italia: Stage 11 result (Porto
Sant’Elpidio- Rimini 182km) 1, (A
Demare (Fr, Groupama-FDJ) 4hr 3min
52sec; 2, P Sagan (Cz, Bora-Hansgro-
he); 3, J-A Hodeg (Col, Decueninck-
Quick-Step); 4, S Consonni (It, Cofidis);
5, R Zabel (Ger, Israel Start-Up Nation)
all same time. Overall leading posi-
tions 1, J Almeida (Por, Decueninck-
Quick-Step) 43hr 41min 57sec; 2, W
Kelderman (Neth, Team Sunweb) at
34sec; 3, P Bilbao (Sp, Bahrain-McLar-
en) at 43sec; 4, D Pozzovivo (It, NTTFinland (0) 1 Ireland (0) 0Jensen 66P WDLFA Pts
Wales......................43 103010
Finland...................430 14 19
Ireland....................40 2 2 1 3 2
Bulgaria.................40 1 3 1 5 1Group C2 Estonia 1 Armenia 1;
North Macedonia 1 Georgia 1Group C3 Greece 0 Kosovo 0;
Moldova 0 Slovenia 4Group C4 Belarus 2 Kazakhstan 0;
Lithuania 0 Albania 0FA Cup third qualifying round
Bishop’s Stortford 3 Royston Town 0;
Havant & Waterlooville 4 Chatham 1;
Marske United 1 Blyth Spartans 0Group B2
Scotland (1) 1 C Republic(0) 0
Fraser 6Slovakia (2) 2 Israel (0) 3
Hamsik 16
Mak 38Zahavi 68, 76, 89P WDLFA Pts
Scotland.................43 105210
C Republic............. 4202656
Israel.......................4 1 2 1665
Slovakia.................40 1 3 4 8 1Group B3 Russia 0 Hungary 0;
Turkey 2 Serbia 2
Group B4
Bulgaria (0) 0 Wales (0) 1J Williams 85Football
Uefa Nations League
Group A1
Italy (1) 1 Neth’lands(1) 1
Pellegrini 16 van de Beek 25
Poland (2) 3 Bosnia (0) 0
Lewandoski 40,
52
Linetty 45+1
sent off:
Ahmedhodzic 15Group A2
England (0) 0 Denmark (1) 1
sent off: Maguire
32, James 90+4
Eriksen 35 penIceland (1) 1 Belgium (2) 2
Saevarsson 17 Lukaku 9, 38 pen
6 Table on page 66
Group A3
Croatia (0) 1 France (1) 2
Vlasic 65 Griezmann 8
Mbappe 79
Portugal (2) 3 Sweden (0) 0Bernardo Silva 21
Jota 44, 72
Group B1
Norway (0) 1 N Ireland(0) 0Dallas 67 (og)Romania(0) 0 Austria (0) 1
Schopf 76P WDLFA Pts
Austria....................430 1649
Norway..................430 11139
Romania................ 4112484
N Ireland................40 1 3 2 8 1Wales left it late again as Jonny
Williams illuminated a scrappy en-
counter with a magnificent flick at the
near post. Williams met a teasing cross
from Neco Williams, who was hugely
impressive and the provider of the bet-
ter chances from right wing back. It was
Williams’s first goal for his country and
the third time that a depleted Wales
side have scored a winner in the final
ten minutes in their Nations League
group, which they top ahead of Finland
who beat Ireland 1-0.
Victory did not come without a price
Moore, forcing him to deploy a false
No 9. He began his reign using the
system and rotating a quartet of players
but after limited success disbanded it in
favour of using Moore as a target man.
Eight of the Wales starting line-up
were aged 22 or under with Rhys Nor-
rington-Davies becoming the 19th
player to be given a debut by Giggs.Steve Clarke has declared that his
Scotland team are primed and ready for
next month’s Euro 2020 play-off final
against Serbia in Belgrade.
At Hampden Park last night an early
Ryan Fraser goal, followed by a coura-
geous defensive performance, earned
them a hard-fought victory against the
Czech Republic in the Nations League.
It kept them four points clear in their
group, extended their unbeaten run to
eight games and gave them a major
boost in what was their final outing
before the showdown with Serbia on
November 12.
This was another of the tactical
triumphs that are fast becoming
Clarke’s stock in trade — only more so.
Just as there were no shots on target in
the play-off semi-final against Israel,
and only one in the narrow victory
against Slovakia on Sunday, their soli-
tary effort on target here was enough to
earn them a remarkable triumph.
Scotland have come a long way since
they lost 4-0 to Russia a year ago. They
rode their luck last night, but three
victories in this international break
have rewarded Clarke for changing the
system last month.
“We want to be resilient, we want to
be hard to beat, we want to show that
Chytry, had a word of encouragement
for Clarke at full-time.
“The Czech coach said to me after the
game that he hopes to see us here next
summer. That was a nice message and
it’s a good incentive. We know how big
the [Serbia] game is and we are aware of
how everyone is going to build it up. We
need to stay focused, stay calm and
work on what we are good at.”Paul Forsyth
Fraser makes the
most of his side’s
only shot on goal
Scottish character,” he said. “But we
also want to have the flair we showed in
periods of this game, especially in the
first half when we did create a couple of
really good opportunities. We’re as well
prepared as we can be going into such a
big match against Serbia.
“We’ve been working towards this
since we lost 4-0 heavily in Russia. We
said that would be the low point and
since then we’ve started trying to build
the confidence, to find a way to be
resilient and get victories. Eight games
later we are starting to show that we are
improving as a team and improving as a
squad of players.
“Before that defeat in Russia, we had
also lost 3-0 and 4-0 to Belgium. These
guys are proud professional footballers
and nobody likes to lose [by] that
amount of goals. Nobody likes to go on
a four-match losing streak, which is
what we did. We had to slowly repair
the confidence. We tweaked the system
a little bit last month and it’s starting to
show signs that maybe it can help us
going forward.”
It was a resolute display by Scotland’s
defence who were under pressure for
most of the game, but Andy Considine,
Scott McTominay and Declan Gallagh-
er — together with Hibernian’s Paul
Hanlon, who came on to make his
debut — stood up to the challenge.
If Scotland can do the same against
Serbia and reach their first major finals
since 1998, their opening game in next
summer’s finals would be against the
Czech Republic, who have already
qualified. Their assistant coach, JiriScotland
Fraser 6Czech Republic
1
0
Gary Jacob
Dallas error
extends the
wait to over
two years
Paul Hirst
Norway
Dallas (og) 67Northern Ireland
1
0
Wales score late again to remain top of their group
however, after Giggs lost goalkeeping
regular Wayne Hennessey with a
serious looking leg injury in the 79th
minute.
For Jonny Williams, though, it was a
joyous occasion for a player who has
appeared in a Wales shirt just 25 times
despite making his international debut
in 2013. He has also found it difficult to
impose himself at club level joining
Charlton Athletic last year after eight
years with Crystal Palace, most of them
spent out on loan.
“It has been a rollercoaster but I am
glad I can repay the gaffer as he lets me
play with confidence,” Williams said. “I
wondered if I would ever get my first
goal. I dreamt of playing for Wales and
I give my all.”
Giggs was without Gareth Bale, Aar-
on Ramsey, David Brooks, Hal Robson-
Kanu and the suspended KiefferNorrington-Davies who plays for Lu-
ton Town, on loan from Sheffield
United, was assured and composed
apart from snatching at his chance after
Tyler Roberts and Neco Williams had
combined on the right flank.
The sprinkling of home fans inside
the stadium reflected disappointment
with a Bulgarian side who had won one
of their previous 18 matches and saw
their Euro 2020 qualifying hopes end in
defeat by Hungary last week. Despite
that they only succumbed to defeat in
stoppage time in Cardiff last month.
Bulgaria were stirred after Dan
James followed through on Cicinho
Gusmao after the interval, sparking a
melee. Soon after Bozhidar Kraev was
inches from converting a cross before
Jonny Williams grabbed the glory. “We
played well without the last bit of
quality but we kept going,” Giggs said.More than two years after their debut in
the competition Northern Ireland’s
wait for a Nations League win goes on
after they fell to a narrow defeat in Oslo.
For only the 12th time in 2020, Erling
Haaland left the pitch without scoring,
but Norway still claimed victory
thanks to an own goal from Stuart
Dallas, who unwittingly deflected the
ball beyond the goalkeeper Trevor
Carson from a corner.
Conceding in such a manner was
unfortunate for Ian Baraclough’s
much-changed team, but they had
enough chances to end their winless
Nations League streak, which now
stretches to eight matches.
André Hansen, the Norway goalkeep-
er, thwarted Josh Magennis and Conor
Washington during a first half in which
Northern Ireland were the better team.
Baraclough’s side did exceptionally
well to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in
last week’s Euro 2020 play-off semi-fi-
nal, but they have struggled in their
Nations League campaign, claiming
one point from four games to leave
them bottom of their group, on the
verge of relegation. “To lose a game
from that sort of goal is disappointing,
but I am pleased overall,” Baraclough
said. “Our counterattacking was good
and incisive — on another night maybe
we should have been a couple up.”
The evening did not get off to the best
of starts. Bailey Peacock-Farrell felt dis-
comfort in his hip during the warm-up,
so he was replaced by Carson 20 min-
utes before kick-off. Jonny Evans was
the only survivor from Sunday’s defeat
by Austria as Baraclough rested some of
his experienced players, including the
captain Steven Davis.
Carson saved Josh King’s second-
half effort but could do little about the
goal that followed soon after. Martin
Odegaard whipped in a corner. Daniel
Ballard tried to head clear but missed
the ball, which brushed off Dallas’s
raised shoulder and looped into the net.Norway (4-4-2): A Hansen 8 — O Elabdellaoui 6,
S Strandberg 7, K Ajer 6, B Meling 6 —
M Odegaard 8, M Normann 6 (F Midtsjo 65min,
6), S Berge 6, M Elyounoussi 7 — J King 6
(A Sorloth 65, 6), E Haaland 6.
Booked King.
Northern Ireland (5-3-2): T Carson 7 — M Smith 6
(S Dallas 60, 5), D Ballard 6, J Evans 7 (C
McLaughlin 45, 6), T Flanagan 7, S Ferguson
Millwall 6— J Thompson 6, C Evans 7, G Saville 6
(P McNair 61, 6) — J Magennis 6, C Washington
Charlton 7.
Referee K Tohver (Estonia).Bulgaria (4-2-1-3): N Mihaylov 6 — Cicinho 6,
G Terziev 6, K Dimitrov 6, A Nedyalkov 6 —
K Malinov 5 (A Tsvetko, 46min, 6), Y Karabelyov 6
— T Nedelev 6 — K Despodov 6 (B Karagaren 84),
B Kraev 5, G Yomov 5.
Booked Cicinho, Karabelyov, Dimitrov
Wales (3-4-3): W Hennessey 6 (A Davies, 79) —
J Rodon 6, C Mepham 6, B Davies 6 — N Williams
8, M Smith 5 (D Levitt, 72 5), E Ampadu 7,
R Norrington-Davies 6 —T Roberts 6, H Wilson 5
(J Williams, 72), D James 6 (R Matondo, 55, 5).
Booked Davies, Wilson, James, Williams
Referee A Aghayev (Azerbaijan)Bulgaria
Wa l e s
J Williams 850
1
Scotland 3-4-1-2: D Marshall 7 — S McTominay 7,
D Gallagher 7, A Considine 7 — S O’Donnell 6,
R Jack, C McGregor, G Taylor 7 (P Hanlon 79min)
— J McGinn 8 (C Patterson 79) — L Dykes 7,
R Fraser 7 (K McLean 70). Booked Dykes
Czech Republic 4-2-3-1: T Vaclik 6 — V Coufal 6,
O Celustka 4 (sub: D Hovorka 20), O Kudela 6,
J Boril 6 — A Kral 6 (P Kaderabek 76),
T Soucek 6 — L Masopust 6 (T Poznar 65),
V Darida 6, L Provod 6 (P Sevcik 65) —
M Vydra 6 (M Rabusic 76). Booked Boril
Referee F Zwayer (Ger)CRAIG WILLIAMSON/SNSFraser gives Scotland a sixth-minute lead, which was to prove decisive last night