Hyypia finds decisive way through fog

Northern Ireland 0 Finland 1

Northern Ireland, who have not scored a goal for six games, were beaten by a strike from the Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia in this friendly in a foggy Belfast last night.

The Irish started brightly and David Healy forced a marvellous save from Jussi Jaaskelainen, the Bolton goalkeeper, with a superb volley.

Steve Lomas, who scored Northern Ireland's last goal a year ago, came close when he headed Keith Gillespie's free-kick against a post late in the first half. But it was Finland who made the breakthrough in the 49th minute.

Shefki Kuqi, the Sheffield Wednesday target man, met Joonas Kolkka's corner and powered in a header. Roy Carroll could only parry it and Hyypia swept the ball home.

The Irish stepped up the pace as they sought an equaliser, and a header from the substitute Andy Kirk hit the post following another free-kick from Gillespie. But a goal just would not come.

NORTHERN IRELAND: Taylor (Fulham); A Hughes (Newcastle Utd), Kennedy (Wigan), Williams (Wimbledon), McCartney (Sunderland), Lomas (West Ham), Gillespie (Blackburn), Johnson (Birmingham), Healy (Norwich), Quinn (Willem II Tilburg), McVeigh (Norwich). Substitutes: Carroll (Manchester Utd), M Duff (Cheltenham), Craigan (Partick Thistle), Kirk (Hearts), Elliott (Hull), McCann (Cheltenham), Jones (Crewe).

FINLAND: Jaaskelainen (Bolton), Hietanen (Denizlispor), Saarinen (Rosenborg), Hyypia (Liverpool), Tihinen (Anderlecht), Riihilahti (Crystal Palace), Nurmela (Heerenveen), Valakari (Derby), Forssell (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Vayrynen (Heerenveen), Kolkka (Panathinaikos). Substitutes: Niemi (Southampton), Pasanen (Ajax), Kuivasto (Viking Stavanger), Heikkinen (Portsmouth), Kopteff (Viking Stavanger), Johansson (Charlton), Kuqi (Sheffield Wednesday).

Referee: D McDonald (Scotland).