Football: Carbone quells the Scots

Italy Under-21. . . 5

Scotland Under-2. .12

THE diminutive Italian forward, Benito Carbone, scored three goals and made another as Scotland's Under-21 side were overwhlemed in Avezanno yesterday. Italy are now level with Portugal at the top of Group One of the European Under- 21 Championship, with the Scots well out of contention.

Carbone, from Torino, opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a left-foot drive. Three minutes later he set up Cristian Vieri, who struck a second goal with a powerful shot, and on the stroke of half- time Carbone added a third.

Two defensive mistakes in the 54th and 55th minutes allowed Paul Bernard, of Oldham, and Dundee United's Christian Dailly to pull the score back to 3-2. As Scotland pressed for the equaliser, though, Carbone led a break and scored Italy's fourth goal in the 70th minute and Sandro Cois, also of Torino, headed the fifth four minutes later.

ITALY UNDER-21: Toldo; Delli Carri, Tresoldi, Cois, Colonnese, Malusci, Orlandini (Rossitto, 64), Scarchilli, Vieri, Marcolin, Carbone.

SCOTLAND UNDER-21: Howie (Norwich City); Wright (Aberdeen), Dow (Chelsea), Murray, Pressley (both Rangers), Tweed (Hibernian), Skilling (Kilmarnock), Bernard (Oldham Athletic), McGrillen (Motherwell), Dailly (Dundee United), Ferguson (Manchester United). Substitutes: Burley (Coventry) for Tweed, h-t; McLaren (Dundee United) for Dailly, 77.

Referee: G Aranda Encinar (Spain).