MARK Sykes was named in the Northern Ireland matchday squad for the first time last night - but did not get on for his debut.

The Oxford United midfielder was an unused substitute as Michael O'Neill's side won 1-0 away to Belarus.

It stretched their winning start to the Group C campaign to four matches, boosting hopes of qualifying for Euro 2020.

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Sykes's clubmate Gavin Whyte, who played 90 minutes in the win against Estonia on Saturday, was left out of last night's squad altogether.

The pair will now have a short break before linking up with the rest of the U's squad for pre-season later this month.