Scotland under-21s hold Belgium to goalless draw in European Championship qualifying

Scotland’s under-21 side held group I leaders Belgium to a goalless draw with an encouraging display in European Championship qualifying.

The young Scots are already out of the reckoning for the finals in Georgia and Romania next year, but manager Scott Gemmill will have taken heart from an impressive showing without several key players.

Newcastle United’s Elliott Anderson went closest to scoring for the visitors in Sint-Truiden and Celtic’s Stephen Welsh had the ball in the net, only to be denied by the linesman’s flag for a foul in the build-up.

The likes of Aberdeen’s Calvin Ramsay, Hibernian’s Josh Doig and Rangers winger Glenn Middleton were all missing in a much-changed Scotland line up.

The hosts managed just a single shot on target but did hit the side netting twice through Anass Zaroury and Hugo Siquet.

However, they failed to seriously test St Johnstone stopper Ross Sinclair in the visitors’ goal on a sodden surface.

Rangers defender Lewis Mayo was perhaps fortunate to see yellow rather than red for felling Anthony Descotte as the Belgium forward charged through on goal in the first half.

He was involved again shortly before the break, nodding the ball back across goal for Welsh to sweep home – only for the referee to disallow the goal for Mayo’s alleged climb on the back of Michel Balikwisha.

Anderson then turned a Stephen Kelly cross wide of the far post in the second period, but neither side was able to break the deadlock.

Gemmill’s men round off their campaign against Denmark in Velje on Friday.