Two-goal McCourt earns high praise with dazzling display

Northern IRELAND manager Nigel Worthington saluted a superb showing from Pat McCourt as the Celtic winger wowed Windsor Park with a dazzling performance against the Faroe Islands in their European Championship Qualifying match last night.

The 27-year-old was making a first competitive start for his country and rose to the occasion with aplomb, running the Group C minnows ragged and scoring two memorable goals in a 4-0 win.

Captain Aaron Hughes and midfielder Steven Davis got the others but it was McCourt's constant dribbling - and a wonderful 88th-minute chipped goal - that will linger. Hughes had ambitiously likened his team-mate to Barcelona ace Lionel Messi yesterday and he did not wilt under such lofty expectations.

"Paddy is just an entertainer," said Worthington.

"He's always had the individual ability and now he has become more of a team player, too.

"For his second goal, you just have to stand there in amazement. Sometimes you wonder if he even knows what he is doing himself. He has fantastic ability but to be fair to Paddy, it's not just that side of things, it's working for the team, too.

"He's quietly confident, not a shouter or a ranter and raver, he just does it.

"There's not much more you can say, he just has magnificent individual ability."