Tommy Conway stakes Scotland, Bristol City team-mate is rewarded for his patience

Tommy Conway pressed for Steve Clarke’s late inclusion in Scotland’s Euro 2024 squad when he scored for the Under-21s in Turkey, while Bristol City team-mate Ross McCrorie made his senior debut in a 2-0 friendly win over Gibraltar.

Clarke is considering adding another striker to his squad ahead of Friday’s final squad announcement after losing QPR striker Lyndon Dykes to an ankle injury in training, leaving him with Lawrence Shankland and Che Adams as the only his central forwards.

Speaking on Sunday, Clarke said he was giving himself “two or three days” to make a final decision and Conway did his best to try to influence that process as he pounced to connect with Lewis’ deep cross Fiorini in the 17th minute, heading in. at the last post in the U21’s 2-1 loss to Turkey.

That it was a header was of some significance given that one of Dykes’ main strengths is his aerial ability and while Conway won’t necessarily be able to match the 28-year-old from that department, he at least showed he had it. in his closet.

When asked after Scotland’s win over Gibraltar if he was thinking about Conway, Clarke said: “I’ll talk to my coaching staff and we’ll take it from there. Tommy has done great and is definitely one that is at the top of my mind.”

Meanwhile, McCrorie earned his first cap in Portugal as goals from Ryan Christie and Adams secured victory for the Scots over the European minnows.

The 26-year-old has represented his country at all levels from the U15s onwards but has had to wait for his opportunity, not helped by the devastating injury he suffered at the start of the 2023/24 season when he picked up an infection at pelvis. which kept him out of action for five months.

After working his way back into Clarke’s mind with 22 appearances in the second half of the season for City, McCrorie appears to be in a two-way battle with Celtic’s Anthony Ralston for the starting right-back spot in the cause of injuries to regular owners. Nathan Patterson and Aaron Hickey.

McCrorie played the full 90 minutes and the Herald scored him 7/10, with Ewan Paton writing: “Looked confident and composed throughout, although, the level of the opposition has to be taken into account. Made several forward gallop runs on the overlap. Positives to build on.”

Martyn Simpson of the Edinburgh Evening News, in scoring McCrorie a 6/10, added: “He acquitted himself well enough on his international debut, bombing up and down the right and had some decent deliveries in the box in the first innings. .”

Clarke must reduce his 27-man squad to 26 by Friday, with a final friendly against Finland to be played before kicking off their Euro 2024 campaign against hosts Germany in Munich on June 14.

“Very proud moment for me and my family,” McCrorie told Premier Sports. “I had to be patient but I’m very, very happy tonight and the result was great.

“I’ve been in the team a few times, I know all the boys – I’ve played against them, I’ve played with them – I’m quite experienced, I’ve had a lot of youth caps but all the boys have been top notch since I came in.

“The gaffer spoke to me before and said, ‘Go and play your normal game, go and do what you did in Bristol’, so that’s what I did. But the result was the main thing, it gave us confidence going into the next game against Finland and going for the Euros”.

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