Belgium U23 2-1 N Ireland U23

David Jeffrey's NI U23 side were edged out in Tournai

Northern Ireland's Under-23 side made up entirely of Irish League players were beaten 2-1 in Tuesday's game against their Belgian counterparts.

Peter Thompson put Northern Ireland ahead on 46 minutes but goals from David Hubert (56) and Benjamin Luton (85) earned Belgium victory.

Hubert equalised on 56 minutes and the Belgians had goalkeeper Sinan Bolat sent off on 75 minutes.

Bolat and his replacement both made several outstanding saves.

Northern Ireland players frustrated by the remarkable goalkeeping included goalscorer Thompson plus Thomas Stewart, David Ogilby, Richard Clarke and Niall McGinn.

Team manager David Jeffrey was "proud" of his Northern Ireland team but ruefully added that they had paid for "lapses of concentration in defence".

"In the first 15 or 20 minutes, they were very quick and very sharp but in the second half of the first half we began to get to grips with things," Jeffrey told BBC Sport.

"Our goal in the first minute of the second half was a great piece of football finished off by Peter Thompson.

"Their equaliser was a really good strike but I really felt it could have been prevented.

The fact that it was local officials did go against us NI manager David Jeffrey

"We came back again and overall in the second half, I felt we were the better side.

"However, they scored their second goal when we were down to 10 men with Richard Clarke off the field.

"Their goalkeeper made three or four incredible saves and I'm not usually one to criticise officialdom but the fact that it was local officials did go against us."

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood and his assistant Jimmy Nicholl both attended the game.

There is speculation that they were keen to see the performance of Lisburn Distillery striker Andrew Waterworth who was in action for Northern Ireland.

David Jeffrey's side have been drawn in Group B alongside the Belgians, Republic of Ireland and Slovakia.

The Republic defeated Slovakia 2-0 in the opening game in the group in Dublin last month.

Northern Ireland will host the Republic next spring and their final match will be away to Slovakia next October.

Group A will consist of trophy holders England, Finland, Wales and Italy and the group winners will meet in the final in February, 2009.

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Northern Ireland U23 squad: Murphy (Ballymena), Nelson (Dungannon), Ervin (Linfield), Lindsay (Linfield), Watson (Ballymena), McMinn (Dungannon), B Holland (Cliftonville), Ogilby (Institute), Scullion (Glentoran), Ward (Glentoran), Clarke (Newry City), McIlmoyle (Limavady), Mulgrew (Linfield), McGinn (Dungannon), Waterworth (Lisburn Distillery), Stewart (Linfield), McAllister (Dungannon Swifts).