In-form Iceland reeling in pacesetters

Iceland closed to within three points of the Group 5 summit by defeating Northern Ireland 2-1 in Grindavik.

Prolific hosts
Having lost their opening qualifier to the Czech Republic, who lead the section with a perfect record from four matches, Iceland have since won three times. The latest success tonight was achieved thanks to second-half efforts from Jóhann Gudmundsson and Jósef Kristinn Jósefsson, with James Lawrie setting up a tense finale after replying in the 80th minute for the visitors.

Gudmundsson streak
Gudmundsson, who scored a hat-trick against San Marino, broke the deadlock on 56 minutes from Andrés Már Jóhannsson's cross before Jósefsson doubled the advantage 14 minutes later, firing in from a narrow angle after more fine work from Jóhannsson. Jósefsson blocked a Billy Kee effort on the goalline as the visitors upped the tempo, and they were rewarded when Lawrie turned the ball in after Haraldur Björnsson had parried a Joshua Magennis drive.

Stand-in boss
Yet that was as good as it got for stand-in Northern Ireland manager Alfie Wylie – regular incumbent Steve Beaglehole is with the Under-19 side in Bosnia-Herzegovina – leaving the team still searching for their first points in the group.