Football / World Cup: Bingham summons Magilton

JIM MAGILTON, the Oxford United midfielder, has been recalled to Northern Ireland's squad for the forthcoming World Cup Group Three qualifying matches against Lithuania and Latvia.

Magilton was missing from the side who lost 3-1 to Spain in Seville last month through injury. Although Northern Ireland's hopes of qualifying for USA '94 vanished with that defeat, the manager, Billy Bingham, has opted against experimenting. 'It's essential that we maintain a level of performance and secure as many points as possible to give us a respectable position in the table,' he said.

He has retained all his established players and included two newcomers to the international scene - Crystal Palace's Darren Patterson and Bournemouth's Keith Rowland.

The Wolves winger, Robbie Dennison, called up as a late replacement for the Seville fixture, keeps his place and could find himself thrust into midfield.

NORTHERN IRELAND SQUAD (World Cup Group Three qualifying matches against Lithuania, Vilnius, 25 May; and Latvia, Riga, 2 June): Wright (Newcastle), Fettis (Hull City); Fleming (Barnsley), McDonald (QPR), Taggart (Barnsley), Donaghy (Chelsea), Magilton (Oxford United), Worthington (Sheffield Wednesday), O'Neill (Dundee United), Wilson (Notts County), Black (Nottingham Forest), Hughes (Strasbourg), Dowie (Southampton), Gray (Luton), Quinn (Reading), Patterson (Crystal Palace), Rowland (Bournemouth), Dennison (Wolves).