The sun shone as the under 21s teams from Scotland and Belgium took to the East End Park pitch for a friendly which could serve as an appetiser for the A teams of Scotland and Australia playing tomorrow at Easter Road. I am not used to staring into the sun to watch football but there are worse ways to spend an evening. The first fright for the visitors was a miscued clearance from a cross by Ryan Jack on the right by Pietro Perdichizzi which spun towards goal but Koen Casteels was alive to the threat to his left hand post. This was after ten minutes of both sides being lively and testing each other out in terms of speed of attack and reaction to hefty challenges. Scott Allan got booked in six minutes for his efforts in the latter and he may regret seeing a yellow card so early. The exuberance of youth was evident from both sides as they were not afraid to try the long range pass into space or provide options for whoever has the ball. They did allow each other space to allow some nice football to be played in the middle of the park but strong arm stuff was not far away when the 25 metre line was threatened. On the half hour mark a couple of corners to the visitors meant Scotland had to look sharp in defence but they dealt with the threat without too much discomfort. Scotland were content to hang onto procession looking for a quick move to beat the off-side trap. They looked comfortable in passing the ball from side to side looking for the gaps as the Belgians chased the ball. Mark Ridgers injured his left leg in a 41st minute collision with Thomas Meunier and had to be replaced by Spurs' Jordan Archer. Not the best time to change the 'keeper but it was probably going to happen sometime in the game anyway. Half-time came with the scores as when we started 0-0. Second half started and we heard that Ridgers was taken off as they did not want to manipulate his injured knee. Just how serious the injury is will only be determined by a full medical examination tomorrow. The game needed a gaols and it finally came as Belgium's Ziggy Badibanga turned quickly on the edge of the box in the 56th minute under pressure and sent the ball into the net past Archers despairing left hand. Not sure Scotland deserved to be behin.d at this stage but perhaps it will liven things up when they get near the visitors goal. Badibanga was a real threat on the left just after his goal but his pull back from the six metre line failed to find a team mate. Scotland were shot-shy for most of the game and even the introduction of all the substitutes allowed as the game wore on did not make any changes to that unusual strategy. This was not one employed by the Belgians as they were keen to add to the single goal of the game. Archer had to be lively to keep the score down as a number of the Belgian subs were keen to take a shot and test the sub 'keeper. There did not seem to be a goal in the Scotland side as the first departures from the crowd started to move away. Not a school night but some youngsters needed to get home. When Scotland did get near the opposition goal as the game neared it's end, they appeared to lose confidence and make the wrong decision. Casteels in the Belgium goal only had to deal with that miscue from his own player in the first half to earn his bonus for playing for his country. Not the most glorious game of football from the Under 21s as the game petered out and ended in a 1-0 win for the visitors. I am sure coach Billy Stark will be rueing the fact the A team have borrowed Jordan Rhodes for the game against the Soceroos tomorrow. Scotland: Ridgers, Jack, Hanlon, Wilson, Wallace, Kelly, Pawlett, Armstrong, O'Halloran, Allan, WyldeSubs: Archer, Toshley, Ness, Shinnie, Wotherspoon, McLean, Park, Watt, Bain. Belgium: Casteels, Cisse, Boyata, Perdichizzi, De Bock, Ozturk, Meunier, Van Der Bruggen, Badibanga, Mpoka, Lestienne Subs: Kaminski, Verboom, Musonda, Arslanagic, Hazard, Menga , Adesanya Attendance: 1,594
Source: FOOTYMAD
