BRYAN HAMILTON, the Northern Ireland manager, has criticised the Ukrainian football authorities for keeping him in the dark during the build up to the World Cup; Group Nine qualifying clash between the sides in Windsor Park in August 31st.

Hamilton is furious that the IFA were not informed about a warm up match the Ukraine played against Lithuania in Kiev last week - they won 5-2 - from which he could have sized up the Windsor Park opposition.

Hamilton said: "We could have had someone at last week's match and at present I know very little about the Ukrainians. An eight minute tape of highlights doesn't reveal all that much."

Hamilton has recalled Leicester's Neil Lennon, French based striker Phil Gray and Coventry's close season signing Michael O'Neill to join the players who held European champions Germany to a 1-1 draw in Belfast in May.