Petropoulos gets Greece going

By Andrew Haslam at Windsor Park

A first-half goal from Antonis Petropoulos helped Greece to a narrow victory against UEFA European Under-19 Championship hosts Northern Ireland in Belfast in the first round of Group A matches.

Solitary strike
The Egaleo FC forward scored the only goal after 15 minutes, and although Northern Ireland battled bravely, they were unable to find an equaliser, David Buchanan and Thomas Stewart both going agonisingly close. Mal Donaghy's side must bounce back against Serbia and Montenegro in Newry on Wednesday, when the Greeks face Germany - who went down 4-2 to Serbia and Montenegro - in Lurgan.

Lone forwards
Both teams lined up in a 4-5-1 formation, with Stewart leading the Northern Irish line while Petropoulos spearheaded the Greek attack. With Northern Ireland in their first U19 finals and Greece not having qualified since 1999, when the competition was an U18 event, it was little surprise that the two sides began cautiously.

Quick reactions
However, with the first real opening of the game on the quarter-hour, the deadlock was broken. Lazaros Christodoulopoulos burst forward from midfield and unleashed a powerful shot that Paul Willis parried, but Petropoulos reacted quickest to slam in the loose ball.

Buchanan denied
Stung, the hosts tried to find a way back into the match and might have drawn level ten minutes before half-time. Buchanan sprinted from midfield on to a long clearance and lifted a first-time effort over the advancing goalkeeper Alexandros Kasmeridis only to see the ball rebound off the crossbar.

Callaghan clearance
At the other end, Grigorios Makos and Christos Aravidis had glimpses of goal either side of the interval, before Northern Ireland's first period of sustained pressure, Stewart twice going close. Despite that spell, however, it was Greece who were nearest to finding the net as Petropoulos rounded Willis, but Aaron Callaghan was perfectly placed to clear off the line.

Crucial intervention
That so nearly proved crucial with 18 minutes remaining as Kasmeridis raced out to deal with a long clearance only to miss his punch. Stewart turned the ball goalwards from an acute angle but, with Northern Irish celebrations beginning, Theodoros Tripotseris somehow turned it off the line. The Greek goal had another narrow escape, Christos Lisgaras almost heading Michael Carvill's cross into his own net, but when Paul Hamilton shot straight at the goalkeeper six minutes from time, Northern Ireland's last opportunity had gone.