SAFEWAY ‘UNDER-21’ INTERNATIONAL
Attendance 3,042
Scotland defeated Israel 2-1 in last night’s Safeway Under-21 International at New Douglas Park, Hamilton tonight.
It was a game enveloped in hate with Tommy Sheridan’s "Rent-A-Mob" protestors numbering a pathetic 300. The "Sunbed Socialist" and his cronies arrived with Palestinian flags and Celtic scarves predominant.
The Israeli national anthem was abused by the protestors but applauded at its¹ conclusion not only by the Israeli fans but also by the Scotland supporters and all true sportsmen who must have been sickened by the hijacking of a friendly international by supporters of terrorism.
There were two Rangers’ players in the Scots’ line-up, Allan McGregor and Andy Dowie.
The game itself had a bright start when James McFadden was twice denied by Israeli goalkeeper Yosef Sekel.in the opening two minutes - firstly when a twenty-yard free-kick was held by the goalkeeper, then secondly a left-foot volley on the turn was turned wide.
The opening goal was merely delayed however, an inswinging corner from Michael Stewart being headed home by the unmarked Shaun Maloney in three minutes.
Stephen Pearson almost added a second seven minutes later when his header from a McFadden cross hit the post.
The Israelis looked at this stage to be in danger of being over-run, but out of the blue they equalised in fourteen minutes when Elyaniv Barda slotted the ball home from a Barukh Degu pass.
This was no friendly it was a fully competitive fixture as was illustrated when both McCunnie and McFadden of Scotland were yellow-carded during the first-half.
With only half of the floodlights operational for much of the opening period there was a real threat that the game might not be played to a conclusion, but as half time approached full power was thankfully restored.
Sadly the chants of hate from Sheridan¹s ‘Rent-A-Mob’ directed against young athletes (just as in Munich in 1972) continued to fill the air, but all true Scots football fans made it clear that their sympathies lay with the Israelis.
As far as the football was concerned, it was end-to-end stuff at the start of the second-half. Michael Stewart was just inches away with a 25-yard drive, then Moshe Ohayon struck the crossbar at the other end with a 25-yard free-kick on the hour.
Five minutes later Allan McGregor had to be alert to turn a Yaniv Luzon free-kick from 22 yards wide of the target.
The game was evenly balanced as both sides sought to gain the upper hand in an enthralling encounter, but it was substitute John Kennedy whose 84th minute header from a Stewart corner found the net.
The Israelis scarcely deserved to be behind, and almost rescued a well-merited draw in the final minute when Barda was clean through on an Israelevich pass only to shoot wide of McGregor¹s goal.
At the final whistle the real winner was sport, the only losers those pathetic individuals who departed New Douglas Park still spewing their chants of hatred and support of terrorism but by now nobody was listening.
SCOTLAND McGregor; McCunnie (Caldwell 45), Hammell; Dowie (Kennedy 45), Doig, Kerr; Duff, Pearson (O¹Brien 78), McFadden (Lynch 66), Stewart, Maloney
UNUSED SUBS Gordon, McLean, McManus, Soutar
ISRAEL Sekel; Moosa, Siam (Nagar 57); Mishaeloff, Cohen, Gazal; Ohayon (Israelevich 73), Luzon (Biton 88), Degu (Azu 86), Barda, Golan (Mashiach 27)
UNUSED SUBS Shivon, Nir, Attia