Scotland Under-21s draw in Denmark: Rangers kid's stunning free-kick, Celtic's Matt O'Riley stars, goalkeeper catches eye

Stephen Kelly put Scotland Under-21s ahead against Denmark.

Scot Gemmill's team were already well out of contention to make it to the finals next year, but this result at least meant they signed off with respectable back-to-back points away to the top two teams in Group I.

The head coach made two changes to the side that secured an impressive goalless draw away to section winners Belgium on Sunday as the suspended Conor Barron and Elliot Anderson were replaced by Josh Mulligan and Stephen Kelly.

Second-place Denmark – featuring Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley – had the first attempt of the game in the seventh minute when Maurits Kjaergaard saw an effort from 25 yards out tipped over by St Johnstone goalkeeper Ross Sinclair.

Kjaergaard went close again 10 minutes later when he got on the end of a cutback from Ajax forward Mohamed Daramy but his shot from eight yards out was blocked by Dundee United defender Ross Graham.

Scotland created their first chance of note in the 20th minute when Scott High crossed into the box, but Mulligan was unable to get enough on his header and it drifted wide.

Denmark threatened two minutes later when Gustav Isaksen nutmegged Jack Burroughs wide on the right and then saw a powerful angled strike superbly beaten away by Sinclair.

The hosts were well on top and Daramy blazed the rebound over from inside the box after Mads Bidstrup saw his shot blocked by a ruck of Scottish bodies.

They almost went ahead a minute before the break but Isaksen saw a shot from eight yards out brilliantly saved by Sinclair's legs after getting on the end of a Rasmus Carstensen cutback.

Remarkably, the Scots went straight up the park and snatched the lead against the run of play in first-half stoppage time.

Mulligan powered forward and was contentiously awarded a free-kick 25 yards out after he appeared to slip. Rangers midfielder Kelly took full advantage, as he stepped up and curled a stunning effort in off the underside of the bar.

Despite this setback, the Danes continued in the ascendancy and Rasmus Hojlund and Frederik Winther both went close in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

The equaliser eventually came in the 70th minute when Kjaergaard drilled a brilliant low angled finish home from the edge of the box after running on to a Carstensen cutback.

The Danes piled on the pressure in the closing stages but the closest they went to a winner was a stoppage-time header from Mathias Kvistgaarden that came back off the crossbar.