Football: Hamilton takes hard line

BRYAN HAMILTON, the Northern Ireland manager, said yesterday that he would invoke the Uefa five-day rule to have players released before the European Championship qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Belfast on 16 November.

The splendid 2-1 victory over Austria in Vienna on Wednesday, achieved through goals by Manchester United's Keith Gillespie and Sunderland's Phil Gray, put Northern Ireland firmly in contention for one of the two qualifying places from Group Six for the 1996 finals in England.

Although there are no Premiership games on the Saturday before the Belfast match, there are Endsleigh League and Scottish First Division matches scheduled and Hamilton said that players, including the Barnsley pair Gary Fleming and Gerry Taggart, would be withdrawn from the fixtures.