Newcastle striker Vakhtang Salia goes close in Georgia qualifying draw

Newcastle United forward Vakhtang Salia came close to scoring as Georgia Under-21s drew 1-1 with Northern Ireland in a European Championship qualifier on Thursday. Salia started at Ballymena Showgrounds, narrowly missing the target early on and having another shot saved before being substituted in the 88th minute. Halid Doltmourziev opened the scoring for Georgia, but Cole Brannigan equalized for Northern Ireland.

The international outing continues an impressive run of form for Salia, who scored four goals in his first five games for Newcastle's Under-21 side this season. Despite securing a point following a previous loss to Greece, Georgia can no longer qualify for next summer's finals and will finish their qualifying campaign against Germany.