NORTHERN Ireland put on an excellent display to earn victory over their nearest neighbours at Springfield last night.

They could, however, have rattled up a bigger winning margin on their way to earning another match at Springfield tonight against Jersey U18s, but a combination of lax finishing and good stops from the Republic’s Aaron Mccarey restricted them to just two, one either side of half time from Stephen Dooley and Liam Boyce.

A reply from the Republic’s Philip Knight, side footing home a low cross from close range, came too late to save the match and they will now face a Jersey Youth Select at Les Quennevais this evening.

But it is an impressive Northern Ireland who hold pole position to land the Lynn Nicholson Memorial Trophy tonight in the JFA’s reformatted tri-nations tournament, with Jersey manager Dave Walsh knowing his side have a hard task ahead of them tonight. ‘There were two well-organised and fit sides out there tonight,’ he said on the final whistle, adding: ‘We’ll have our work cut out.’

• Picture: Two of the goalscorers from last night’s U18 international at Springfield, the Republic of Ireland’s Philip Knight (white shirt) and Northern Ireland’s Liam Boyce, contest possession. Picture by Jon Guegan (00615676)