SCOTLAND Under-21s paid the price for first-half profligacy as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat against their Iceland counterparts in a friendly at Fir Park.
Debutant Max Johnston, on loan at Cove Rangers from Motherwell, opened the scoring on his parent club’s ground on the half-hour mark as the home side caused plenty of problems.
Liverpool’s exciting 17-year-old prospect Ben Doak, making his first start, should have scored at least two in the opening 45 minutes and there could have been more.
However, Iceland looked a different team after the break and forward Kristall Mani Ingason levelled two minutes after the restart then converted a penalty in the 59th minute which proved to be the winner.
It was the latest preparation match for Scot Gemmill’s side ahead of the next European Championship qualification campaign which begins in 2023 and there was a new look about his line-up, partly due to the loss of several players from his original squad.
Bayern Munich B defender Liam Morrison made his debut as captain, with Newcastle Under-21 goalkeeper Jude Smith, Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney, Alex Lowry of Rangers, Johnston and Ibane Bowat of Fulham’s academy also featuring at this level for the first time.
Free entry to the game brought in a decent main stand crowd of 2,128, many of them enthusiastic children, who were impressed by the home side’s start.
Doak should have scored in the 10th minute when he was sent clear down the right by Lowry’s raking pass but he struck his shot straight at Iceland keeper Adam Ingi Benediktsson.
Johnston, son of former Scotland winger Allan Johnston, created his goal, feeding Doak down the right and keeping his run going until he got the return pass to slide the ball in from 10 yards.
The Scots looked good for another.
Doak was thwarted again by Benediktsson after bursting into the box before striker Tommy Conway blasted a shot from close range off the Iceland keeper’s head moments later.
However, it took a good Smith save from Danijel Dejan Djuric just before the break to keep the score level and it was a warning the Scots failed to heed.
In the 47th minute, after the visitors reached the Scotland box all too easily, Ingason’s first effort from 12 yards was blocked by Morrison but his second shot proved too powerful for Smith, who got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out.
Ingason doubled his tally from the spot after Morrison was adjudged to have tripped Iceland substitute Kristofer Jonsson inside the penalty area.
Thomas Dickson-Peters came on to make his Scotland debut along with Archie Meekison and the home side fought back.
Defender Connor McAvoy had an effort cleared off the line by one of several white shirts defending, before Robbie Fraser was sent on for his debut along with Adam Devine.
And with Iceland using all their allocated subs, the match finished in a scrappy fashion with Scotland trying everything to force the equaliser.
