Club News

INTERNATIONALS: Four Baggies in Thursday action

McClean impresses in Ireland win

FOUR Baggies players were in action for their nations on Thursday night.

James McClean was the pick of the bunch as he delivered an eye-catching display for the Republic of Ireland who claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Georgia in World Cup qualifying.

The winger played the whole game in Dublin where Seamus Coleman’s second-half goal was enough to earn the boys in green three precious Group D points.

McClean was a constant threat throughout the night down the left, and the Albion man was unfortunate not to get himself on the scoresheet at the Aviva Stadium. 

He had a header chalked off for offside and then saw another headed effort cannon against the underside of the crossbar.

The Republic of Ireland travel to Chisinau to face Moldova on Sunday night (ko 7.45pm).


CLASSY DISPLAY: James McClean impressed as Ireland earned their first qualifying win

In the same qualifying group, Hal Robson-Kanu came off the bench in the 77th minute for Wales who secured a valuable point against Austria, drawing 2-2 in Vienna.

Joe Allen fired the Welsh ahead but Marko Arnautovic levelled matters with a close range header.

Kevin Wimmer turned the ball into his own net to give the visitors a half-time lead, only for Arnautovic to grab his second of the game shortly after the restart to earn the Austrians a share of the spoils.

Wales now host Georgia at the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday evening (ko 5pm).

Meanwhile, in South American World Cup qualifying, there was more frustration for Salomon Rondon as his Venezuela side fell to a 3-0 defeat against Uruguay in Montevideo.

The Baggies number nine played 90 minutes in a game which saw goals from Nicolas Lodeiro and an Edinson Cavani brace condemn Venezuela to a seventh defeat in nine qualifiers.

Rondon’s nation welcome Brazil for another qualifier on Wednesday morning (ko 1.30am UK time).

Finally, there was double delight for Brendan Galloway who made his England Under-21 debut in a 1-0 victory away to Kazakhstan.

The result booked the Three Lions’ spot at next summer’s European Under-21 Championships in Poland.

Galloway got 90 minutes under his belt in Aktobe and the on-loan defender will be hoping for a second consecutive start when England face Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Banks’s Stadium on Tuesday afternoon (ko 3pm).