SOCCER/Northern Ireland 0 Canada 1: Lawrie Sanchez was left with much to ponder after last night's defeat against Canada as he tries to prepare his team for their World Cup qualifier against England next month.
The Northern Ireland manager saw his team display a lack of the nous required to break down 10-man Canada - not a good sign for their meeting with Sven-Goran Eriksson's England on March 26th.
They had 68 long minutes to make their advantage pay, after Gabriel Gervais had been sent off for two yellow cards. But they failed to do so and instead went down to Oliver Occean's 32nd-minute winner.
Substitute Steve Jones almost snatched an equaliser in stoppage time only for his shot to come back off the post.
Sanchez decided to employ a 4-5-1 formation for the first time, with the England game obviously in mind.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Taylor (Carroll 46), Baird, Aaron Hughes, Murdock (Kirk 46), McCartney, Gillespie (Jones 75), Whitley, Doherty (Mulryne 46), Davis, Capaldi (Craigan 79), Healy (Smith 79). Subs Not Used: Williams, Clyde.
CANADA: Sutton, Gervais, McKenna (Klukowski 46), Serioux (Peters 85), Imhof, Occean, Bernier, Brennan (Hume 83), Reda, De Rosario, Simpson. Subs Not Used: Hutchinson, Hirschfeld, Watson. Sent Off: Gervais (22). Booked: Gervais. Goals: Occean 32.
Referee: Joseph Attard (Malta).
