Beaglehole will change things

Ken Gaunt,Pa
Monday 01 March 2010 16:54 GMT
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Northern Ireland Under-21 manager Steve Beaglehole is set to field an experimental line-up in the UEFA Championship qualifier against San Marino tomorrow.

With his side unable to progress in the competition after taking one point from five games he will make wholesale changes.

As he is also in charge of the Under-19 team, Beaglehole will give a number of that age group a chance as they are involved in the elite round of the UEFA Championship in Russia in May.

He said: "It makes sense as we cannot qualify for the finals of the Under-21 Championship.

"Of course we want the points but this is a chance for some players to gain good experience before going to Russia.

"San Marino haven't picked up a point but we know they will be competitive on their own ground.

"While we have a fair amount or rebuilding to do, I am pleased with the quality of player coming through."

Manchester United midfielder Corry Evans will captain the side while the appearance of Liam Boyce is likely to attract interest.

A number of English clubs are known to be casting an eye over the talented Cliftonville striker.

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