The Aviva Soccer Sisters Easter camps programme is open to girls between the ages of 7-12 years old and gives them the chance to play football in a fun environment with girls of their own age and ability.  The camps cater for girls of all levels of skill from those who have never played up to those who play regularly.  It is aimed at attracting new girls to play football, but to also foster the enjoyment of those already playing the game. 

The Aviva Soccer Sisters programme is now in its eleventh year and had been a part of the huge increase in participation in the girl’s game at a grass roots level since 2006.  Over that period there have been almost 26,000 young girls participated on the programme.

The 2017 Aviva Soccer Sisters Easter Camps will be taking place in 125 locations across the country providing 3,000+ girls the opportunity to get involved.  The two day camps are all overseen by FAI accredited coaches and for €30, the girls will also receive an Aviva Soccer Sisters Umbro kit (Jersey, shorts & socks) and a football, as part of the camp.  A full list of camps is available on www.soccersisters.ie     

Aviva’s sponsorship has helped us to expand the number of venues across the country in 2017 and Aviva will also host a number of competitions over the coming weeks.  Book before 28th February and be one of 30 lucky participants that will be selected to attend our Aviva Soccer Sisters Golden Camp, which will be held in FAI National Training Centre. Book now to be in with a chance www.soccersisters.ie

A further competition will take place for ten of our host clubs to bring ten of their participants to the Soccer Sisters Festival of Football at the Aviva Stadium in May 2017.  This will give young players from all over the country the chance to play on the famous Aviva pitch. 

Sue Ronan, FAI Head of Women’s Football, said; “Over the last decade the Soccer Sisters has become a very important programme for introducing young girls to the game and has been one of the main reasons we’ve seen a huge growth in numbers at underage level.  The next step is to create proper links from this programme to the clubs so these young girls will continue in the game and become the stars of the future.”

Mark Russell, Sponsorship Manager, Aviva Ireland, said; “Aviva are delighted to be involved with the Soccer Sisters programme for 2017.  We want to help expand the reach of the Soccer Sisters camps across the country to help get more clubs and schools involved in 2017.  Along with the Aviva Soccer Sisters camps in clubs and schools there will also be the Easter Camps and the Nursery Academy which gives girls from 5 – 8 years old the chance to try football in a fun environment.  This is another of Aviva’s grassroots programmes along with our sponsorship of the IRFU’s Mini Rugby that we are helping to create the heroes of tomorrow who will hopefully be wearing the green jersey in years to come.”   

The course details are as follows;

• Munster Region - 25th/26th Feb – Limerick District League Grounds
• Dublin Region - 25th/26th Feb – FAI HQ, Abbotstown, Dublin 15
• South East Region - 4th/5th March – Aspect Hotel, Kilkenny
• North East Region - 11th/12th March – Patrician High School, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan
• Munster Region  11th/12th March – Midleton FC, Knockgriffin Park, Co Cork

For further details and to register for the course please go to: Referee Beginners Courses

The fee for the course is €100 and a minimum number of 15 participants will be required for the course to proceed.

For further information on the Football Association of Ireland Referee Beginners Course programme please contact the Referees Department at;

Phone: 01 8999536 / 01 8999528

Email: referees@fai.ie

Jason Donohue’s side know they must improve in a number of areas to bounce back from an error-strewn loss at DVS’33 Ermelo when the sides meet again at the same venue.

Poor decision-making by the Irish youngsters was ruthlessly punished by the highly regarded Dutch outfit but Donohue believes his players can learn from the experience.

“There's no other way of putting it other than saying that all of the goals conceded were disappointing. The number of errors made in one game was enough to cover a whole season let alone one fixture," he said.

“The Netherlands were better than us on the day and that's fair comment but we missed a lot of glorious chances to get back in the game. We conceded a penalty just before half-time to go 3-1 and some of the missed opportunities we passed up on early in the second half could have brought us level.

“There was a lot of learning from that game. The Dutch had ten players from Ajax who’ve grown up together so that’s to their advantage but ultimately there were a lot of basic errors.

“The players looked at the video - we gave them the opportunity to identify the problems and facilitate them coming up with the answers because that's the environment we're trying to create with the group.

“We’ll compete tomorrow and we'll go again. We’ll learn from this. They’ve had the opportunity to see the level they have to reach in international football now and we'll be hopeful that they'll respond in the right manner."

"We've organised games like this in every tournament we have competed in as preparation for our UEFA Qualifiers. Against Gerry Smith’s sides in the past we have found them to be very beneficial. We have seen players become first team regulars at their Irish clubs, many have also become regulars in the U21 team while some have also moved to the UK and become full-time professionals," said King.

Players who have played in similar games in recent years include: Aaron Greene, Paddy Madden, Enda Stevens and Andy Boyle (2010), Daryl Horgan, Gearoid Morrissey and Kevin Dawson (2011), Robbie Benson, Chris Forrester and Barry McNamee (2013), John Kavanagh, Sean Hoare, Lee Desmond and Brandon Miele (2015).

"A lot of good players are playing at home and it's an opportunity to see them up close and identify players who can offer something to the wider group for the campaign ahead," said King.

"We've a tough qualifying campaign to come but there are opportunities there for players who are willing to step up to the challenge to go out and make an impression.

"Gerry Davis’ new look Amateurs will as always prove tough opponents as no doubt he will be anxious to progress his own squad for their upcoming International challenges."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U21 HOME-BASED SQUAD:
Kevin Horgan (Shamrock Rovers)
Matthew Connor (Waterford FC)
Colm Deasy (Drogheda United)
Richie Purdy (Drogheda United)
Gary Boylan (Sligo Rovers)
Regan Donelan (Sligo Rovers)
Ryan Robinson (St Mochta's)
Rory Feely (St Patrick's Athletic)
Paudie O'Connor (Limerick FC)
Ethan Boyle (Finn Harps)
Georgie Poynton (Bohemians)
Jamie McGrath (Dundalk)
Darragh Noone (Bray Wanderers)
Josh Daniels (Derry City)
Ronan Curtis (Derry City)
Ben Doherty (Derry City)
Conor Melody (Galway United)

FIXTURE
Saturday, February 11
Training Match
Republic of Ireland U21 Home-Based squad v Republic of Ireland Amateur International squad, AUL Complex (2.00pm)

Ireland will meet Hungary on Thursday, February 9, then meet Romania two days later. O'Brien's side are preparing for the UEFA U17 Championships Elite Qualifying Phase where they will travel to Cyprus in March to fact the hosts, Slovakia and Faroe Islands. Croatia will host the finals tournament in May.

"These games in Spain next week will be a key part of our preparations for the Elite Qualifying Round in March so we're very pleased to have this opportunity to bring the squad together," said O'Brien.

"Since we were last together some of the players have been out of season while those based in the UK are still in season so it's chance to gauge where they are fitness wise.

"There are a couple of new faces in there too and it's an opportunity for them to show what they can do so that we'll have some tough decisions to make around the squad that goes to the Elite Phase.

"We're pleased to have two tough games while we're in Spain against Hungary and Romania. It will give the players a feel for some of what we can expect in the tournament format at the Elite Phase and we'll also be able to work on a number of points with the players."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U17 SQUAD:

Brian Maher (St Patrick's Athletic)

Tom Murphy (Everton)

Lee O'Connor (Manchester Utd)

Kameron Ledwidge (St Kevin's Boys)

Nathan Collins (Cherry Orchard)

Jordan Doherty (Sheffield Utd)

Joe Redmond (Birmingham City)

Aaron Bolger (Shamrock Rovers)

Conor Coventry (West Ham Utd)

Brandon Kavanagh (Bohemians)

Rowan Roache (Blackpool)

Richie O'Farrell (St Patrick's Athletic)

Marcus Rowley (Malaga)

Adam Idah (Corinthians Boys)

Luke Nolan (St Patrick's Athletic)

Gavin Kilkenny (Bournemouth)

Aaron Connolly (Brighton)

Daryl Walsh (Waterford)

Tyriek Wright (Lakewood FC)

Ronan Manning (Galway Utd)

FIXTURES

Thursday, February 9

Republic of Ireland v Hungary, Oliva, Spain (2.00pm Irish)

Saturday, February 11

Republic of Ireland v Romania, Oliva, Spain (12.00pm Irish)

Manchester United youngster Ayodeji Sotona put the Irish in front very early on and although the Dutch levelled with a fortunate first half equaliser, Irish coach Jason Donohue was pleased with the overall display his young side produced.

Ireland took the lead in the fifth minute when Troy Parrott made a powerful run down the right wing and sent the ball across goal for Dublin-born Sotona to slot home from 10 yards out.

Irish keeper Aaron Davis made a decent save to keep out a Dutch header in the 15th minute before the Netherlands levelled in the 17th minute with a fortunate effort that saw a right wing cross end up in the Irish net via the opposite upright.

Cian Leavy had a chance to restore Ireland’s lead in the 37th minute after connecting with a cut back from Parrott but a defender cleared off the line.

Parrott has a shot over in the 45th minute then had a headed effort just off target in the 59th minute as Ireland pushed to extend their lead.

Davis made a decent save in a one on one situation in the 70th minute then the home side had a player sent off for a foul on Ireland substitute Festy Ebosele with nine minutes left.

Parrott almost snatched a victory for the Irish in injury-time but the Dutch keeper made a decent save.

“We reflected on the first game and spoke about not making the same basic defensive errors so we defended a little deeper.

“After we took the lead, it was tight enough and they equalised. After that were unlucky not to go ahead again. When we looked back on Tuesday we weren’t actually that bad but you can’t get away with the errors we made.

“We created more chances in the first game but we looked a stronger unit in the second game and overall I feel we met our objectives here this week. We’ll look forward to our next fixtures against the Czech Republic in April.”

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Aaron Davis, Seamus Keogh, Cian Kelly, Sean McEvoy, Jack Funge, Cian Leavy, Joe Hodge, Sean Kennedy, Brandon Holt, Troy Parrott, Ayodeji Sotona.

Subs: Conor Carthy for Leavy 41 mins; Matthew Healy for Sotana 41; Festy Ebosele, for Kennedy 65; Timi Sobowale for McEvoy 73. Unused: Harry Halwax, James Furlong, Armstrong Okoflex.

FIXTURES

U15 International Friendly

Tuesday, January 31

Netherlands 5-1 Republic of Ireland, DVS’33 Ermelo

Thursday, February 2

Netherlands 1-1 Republic of Ireland, DVS’33 Ermelo

The Irish will face Norway, Portugal and Slovakia in three games which will provide useful preparation for the UEFA U19 Championships Elite Qualifying Round in March.

Mohan's side travel to Belgium for the Elite Phase next month to meet the hosts, Italy and Sweden with only one spot available for the finals in Georgia this summer.

"This is another good opportunity for us to get the players together and help our preparations for the UEFA Elite Phase in March," said Mohan.

"A couple of players were unavailable due to club commitments but we've brought in some players who've done well recently and it's a chance to stake their claim for involvement in the Elite Phase.

"We held a home-based assessment game against the ETB squad prior to Christmas and some of those players have earned their place in this squad. We have watched them in pre-season games and it will be good to bring them in with the other players.

"The games we'll play will all be good tests and the tournament format will also be very beneficial ahead of what's a testing Elite Phase. This is a good group of players and we're looking forward to working with them in Spain."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U19 SQUAD:

Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool)

Lee McCarron (Finn Harps)

Corey O'Keefe (Birmingham City)

Canice Carroll (Oxford Utd)

Conor Masterson (Liverpool)

Conor Kane (Drogheda Utd)

Barry Cotter (Limerick)

Darragh Leahy (Coventry City)

Tyreke Wilson (Manchester City)

JJ Lunney (St Patrick's Athletic)

Jayson Molumby (Brighton)

Trevor Clarke (Shamrock Rovers)

Dan McKenna (Wolves)

Conor Levingston (Wolves)

Steven Kinsella (Dundalk)

Anthony Scully (West Ham)

Zachary Elbouzedi (WBA)

Dan Mandroiu (Brighton)

Michael O'Connor (Shamrock Rovers)

Ronan Hale (Birmingham City)

Josh Barrett (Reading )

FIXTURES

La Manga Invitational Tournament

Friday, February 10

Republic of Ireland v Norway, La Manga Club, Murcia (12.00pm Irish)

Sunday, February 12

Republic of Ireland v Portugal, La Manga Club, Murcia (12.00pm Irish)

Tuesday, February 14

Republic of Ireland v Slovakia, La Manga Club, Murcia  (12.00pm Irish)

It was at this time last year that the Leeds AFC committee spoke about the upcoming 30th anniversary of the club and what we would like to do and events we might go ahead with. 

The 30th anniversary year has had many highlights. A Cork City FC XI visited the club to play against the Seniors & Juniors in February. The club committee were invited to City Hall to a reception with the Lord Mayor and the Lord Mayor’s office have been a great help to the club during the year. We had a fabulous day for the yearly Academy blitz in June, a monster race night was held during the year, several competitions were run in conjunction with some of our fantastic sponsors and we had a great day for the annual Schoolboys awards with Gary Buckley of Cork City and ex- Leeds AFC giving out the awards.

We recently had a massively successful Christmas draw which brought much needed revenue in to the club so one mention here that we do require registration fees to be paid and so will be revisiting any unpaid registration fees in January. The club continued the work with COPE and has now adopted the motto "A Place of Football for All" to highlight the inclusive nature of the club as we lead the way in cork in the Football for All Initiative.

The 30th anniversary dinner dance was such a massive success and a fantastic PR exercise for the club with all local Cork footballing bodies in attendance. Guest of Honor and speaker was John Delaney, FAI Chief Executive Officer, who we know is a firm ally of the club. John was overwhelmed by the genuine reception he got on the night and great credit must be given to all the committee for making the night such a great success.

Looking back now over the past year, I think we can safely say we have had a fantastic year in the promotion of the club. The Academy under Director James Fogarty and his very experienced coaches have given the club a great buzz on the weekends and with so many well coached players coming through, this will only benefit Leeds AFC teams in the very near future.

Every team at the club has given their all during the year and while it is nice to win, once everyone gives it their all, that is all we can ask.

We've had success this year with the U9's winning the Cork Cup and the Adult Juniors winning the League cup in an absolute thriller of a game in November.

Thank you to all managers, coaches and parents who helped out with the voluntary work that you continue to do week in week out. Let’s not forget that all of us are here on a voluntary basis for the benefit of the club and the community.

Over the years, like so many other clubs, it felt that there were clubs within the club. This is something we wanted to change and improving communication was key to making sure that everyone received the same message.

Our facebook page and website have gone from strength to strength and we now have a club text which further helps communication on club news and I thank everyone who is connected with the development of our social media platforms.

Looking forward to 2017, the club will be continuing to work on the development of the grounds. Some work was done in recent weeks on fencing, new all-weather pitch lighting and initial work on a new training pitch facility. We hope to be able to give more good news in the year ahead but rest assured we are working hard to improve facilities at the club. 

A sincere thank you to all involved in the daily upkeep of the grounds and pitches as well.  Hopefully no one has been excluded but if so it was not intentional.

Finally, we want to thank the players and parents for being a part of Leeds AFC. We can safely say that a lot of us know each other better now than we did this time last year and that is a major success for the year.

Watch Leeds AFC's 30th Anniversary Video HERE

Ger Meany - Vice-Chairman - Leeds AFC Cork

Bell will begin the new role on Monday, February 13 and fills the vacancy left by Sue Ronan who stepped down after six years. The English native, who has been in Germany since 1982, is due to depart SC Sand in the Frauen Bundesliga shortly, and is excited to get started.

Following a playing career with FSV Mainz 05, Bell moved into coaching where he has worked in both the men's and women's game over the last three decades, learning from the likes of current Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp and enjoying a lot of success.

In 2015, Bell guided FFC Frankfurt to glory in the UEFA Women's Champions League - having previously won the DFB-Pokal der Frauen (German Women's Cup) and brought the club back into the Champions League, as well as spending time at Bad Neuenahr - before moving on to Avaldsnes IL in Norway and back to Germany with SC Sand.

Currently 34th in the FIFA Women's World Rankings, the Ireland Women's Senior Team has yet to qualify for a major tournament and that challenge is something that attracted Bell to the job.

"I'm very proud to be given this opportunity to lead the Republic of Ireland Women's Senior Team and I regard it as a big honour," said Bell.

"I will do my very best to help women's football in Ireland continue to grow and to make it more attractive to young girls, who can have the dream of playing football at a high level.

"I want to help the Women's Senior Team to become role models for young girls to look up to and I want to instil the values of the FAI into this job as I aim to be as successful as I can be.

"It is a dream come true to be given the opportunity to become a national team coach and it is something during my 27 years coaching that I always wanted to be. Now, I'm looking forward to getting started." 

FAI CEO, John Delaney, believes the appointment of Bell is a statement of intent by the Association to compete with the best teams in Europe and beyond.

"We have made huge strides in the development of women's football, particularly at underage level and with our Emerging Talent Programme, but it's time to take that next step at senior level," said the CEO.

"Recently, the FAI have made some really important appointments at international level and Colin's arrival continues that trend as we maintain our pursuit for excellence with each of our teams and to qualify for major tournaments.

"Colin will bring a fresh approach and a winning mentality, so I'm looking forward to the years ahead with Colin in charge of the Women's Senior Team."

FAI High Performance Director, Ruud Dokter, echoed those sentiments and said: "I'm very excited about the appointment of Colin as the new Women's Senior Team Head Coach.

"Colin brings a wealth of experience, having managed in the German Women's Bundesliga and won the UEFA Women's Champions League.

"It is important to note that Colin was chosen ahead of a number of excellent candidates, which shows how attractive the position was. Developing women's football is a key priority for the FAI and this appointment shows our commitment to that.

"Along with his role with the Women's Senior Team, Colin will also work closely with the Head of Women's Football and our High Performance department to connect with all clubs, leagues and all strands of women's football to further enhance our development in those areas.

"This is a new start for the Women's Senior Team and I look forward to working closely with Colin."

Women's Football Committee Chairperson, Niamh O'Donoghue, believes Colin's role is just as important to the development of women's football, as a whole, as it is to winning games at senior level.

"I would like to extend a warm welcome to Colin and wish him the best of luck in his new role. Leading the Women's Senior Team is an incredibly important duty and Colin will have the full support of the Women's Football Committee," she noted.

"The Women's Senior Team are at the highest point on the women's football pyramid and we hope that the team, under Colin's guidance, can continue to inspire the next generation of girls around the country to play football."

The Women's Senior Team will next be in action at the end of February when they take part in the Cyprus Cup - drawn into Group B alongside Czech Republic, Hungary and Wales.

The team will be back on home soil for a friendly match against Slovakia on Monday, April 10 in Tallaght Stadium. Full details will be announced in due course.

Tom Mohan’s side will meet the Norwegians tomorrow then face Portugal on Sunday and Slovakia on Tuesday. All of the fixtures are at the La Manga centre in Murcia with a noon Irish-time kick-off.

“All has gone well so far," said Mohan. "We trained in Dublin this week then the squad travelled yesterday and we were able to have a light session then today we trained again to prepare for tomorrow's game."

Birmingham City's Corey O’Keeffe has been recalled to link up with Gianfranco Zola's first team squad and is replaced by Southampton's Thomas O’Connor.

"Although we've a strong squad here we also have a number of players missing and that's opened the door for others to impress," said Mohan.

"We’re looking forward to working with the lads again for first time since October when we secured our qualification for the Elite Phase.

“We’ve worked on as much as we could from both attacking and defensive point of view in the short time we’ve had them this week. You want to get performances and if we can get results too that's great for confidence.

“The Elite Phase is the main focus and the players are well aware of that. It’s an important week. All three teams here have qualified for the Elite Phase so they'll be good tests and good opportunities for players to show they can play a part in the Elite Phase. "

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U19 SQUAD:

Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool)

Lee McCarron (Finn Harps)

Canice Carroll (Oxford Utd)

Conor Masterson (Liverpool)

Conor Kane (Drogheda Utd)

Barry Cotter (Limerick)

Darragh Leahy (Coventry City)

Tyreke Wilson (Manchester City)

JJ Lunney (St Patrick's Athletic)

Jayson Molumby (Brighton)

Trevor Clarke (Shamrock Rovers)

Dan McKenna (Wolves)

Thomas O'Connor (Southampton)

Steven Kinsella (Dundalk)

Anthony Scully (West Ham)

Zachary Elbouzedi (WBA)

Dan Mandroiu (Brighton)

Michael O'Connor (Shamrock Rovers)

Ronan Hale (Birmingham City)

Josh Barrett (Reading )

FIXTURES

La Manga Invitational Tournament

Friday, February 10

Republic of Ireland v Norway, La Manga Club, Murcia (12.00pm Irish)

Sunday, February 12

Republic of Ireland v Portugal, La Manga Club, Murcia (12.00pm Irish)

Tuesday, February 14

Republic of Ireland v Slovakia, La Manga Club, Murcia  (12.00pm Irish)

Colin O'Brien's side are using this week to prepare for the forthcoming UEFA U17 Championships Elite Qualifying Round that takes place next month and this performance will be helpful for the Irish confidence.

Ireland took the lead in the sixth minute when Adam Idah headed to the net after a Rowan Roache delivery from an early Irish corner.

Two minutes later Hungary keeper Balazs Asvanyi made a good save to deny Aaron Connolly after the Brighton striker beat two defenders before getting his shot away.

Irish keeper Brian Maher made a good save to keep his side in front in the 22nd minute before the Hungarians had an attempt deflected just over the Irish crossbar in the 27th minute from a free-kick attempt.

Roache sent in a dangerous free-kick in the 32nd minute that Nathan Collins just failed to connect with and three minutes later Aaron Bolger turned provider for Connolly, who had a shot blocked before Conor Coventry’s rebound was saved by the keeper.

Ireland extended their lead when St Patrick’s Athletic’s Luke Nolan found the net with a rebound after a brilliant pass from Collins found Connolly and the keeper could only parry the shot.

Nolan had another chance four minute later but the Hungarian keeper made a good save. Asvanyi also did well to keep out a header from Collins in the 55th minute.

Asvanyi denied Roache in the 58th minute after good work by Bolger and Connolly and Nolan failed to turn the loose ball home.

The Hungarian keeper made further saves to deny Brandon Kavanagh in the 71st minute and Connolly in the 78th minute but overall the Irish were full value for a solid victory. The Irish meet Romania on Saturday in the second game of the week.

"We felt we deserved to win the game but the two sides were evenly matched. We scored early from a good set-play. Hungary had a couple of chances to level before half-time and it could easily have been all-square at the break," said O'Brien.

"We functioned better as a team defensively in the second half and we got a good goal. Overall it was good test. The approach this week is that everybody will play. It's been warm conditions this week and there'll be changes on Saturday once we assess how the players responded to this game physically.

"Some of our first half play will have to be a lot better when we get to Elite Phase level. Saturday will be another good test against a technical Romania side and we will be interested to see how they take on board what we've worked on with the squad this week."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Brian Maher, Lee O’Connor, Kameron Ledwidge, Nathan Collins, Aaron Bolger, Luke Nolan, Conor Coventry, Rowan Roache, Adam Idah, Aaron Connolly, Jordan Doherty. Subs: Gavin Kilkenny for Idah 59 mins, Richard O’Farrell for Coventry 59, Brandon Kavanagh for Roache 70.

Unused: Cian Lee, Marcus Rowley, Tom Murphy, Ronan Manning, Darryl Walsh, Tyreik Wright

FIXTURES

Thursday, February 9

Republic of Ireland 2-0 Hungary, Oliva, Spain

Saturday, February 11

Republic of Ireland v Romania, Oliva, Spain (12.00pm Irish)

Tom Mohan's side got off to a slow start and were a goal down in the third minute and while the Irish had chances to level the Norwegians extended their lead in the second half with a controversial penalty kick before Steven Kinsella got a late consolation for Ireland.

The Irish went 1-0 down in the third minute when the Norwegians burst down the left flank and Basit Agouda burst into the penalty area then flicked the ball past Irish defender Darragh Leahy for Knut Ahlander to side-foot home from eight yards out.

Josh Barrett had a chance to level less than 60 seconds later but his volley at the back post was comfortably held by goalkeeper Kjetil Haug.

Ahlander had an opportunity to extend the Norwegian lead in the eighth minute when he got his head to a left-wing cross but Irish keeper Caoimhin Kelleher did well to push his effort over the crossbar.

Barrett had a chance to level in the 15th minute when he got on the end of a right wing delivery from Canice Carroll and cut inside the defender but fired over the crossbar.

In the 16th minute the Irish had a let off when the speedy Agouda burst through but fired against Kelleher’s right post and the ball rebounded to safety.

Barrett burst through in the 37th minute and was pushed by defender Benjamin Zalo as he shot but Slovakian referee Marek Mastis waved away the Irish penalty shouts. In the 42nd minute it appeared that Norwegian midfielder Jens Petter Hauge handled in his penalty area but again the referee dismissed the appeals.

After the break the Norwegians first threatened a second goal in the 59th minute when substitute Petter Mathias Olsen had a long range shot saved by keeper Kelleher. 

Norway were awarded a bizarre penalty in the 76th minute when Trevor Clarke was penalised for a challenge on Agouda which replays showed involved zero contact between the players. Agouda stepped up to slot home the spot-kick.

Steven Kinsella pulled a goal back for Ireland in the 89th minute when he steered the ball home with an overhead kick after an Anthony Scully corner had been knocked back across the goal-face by Zachary Elbouzedi.

Dan McKenna was denied an Irish equaliser two minutes into injury-time with a strike from the edge of the box that the keeper Kjetil Haug held comfortably.

Ireland will meet Portugal in their second game in the tournament on Sunday afternoon (12.00pm Irish).

"There's a lot of positives to take from it. A lot of new faces came in and did very well. The result was disappointing but outside of a poor first 20 minutes once we coped with Norway's direct style of play I was pleased with how we performed," said Mohan.

"The second goal was a soft penalty and probably gave a false impression of how the game was going. We deservedly got a goal back and maybe deserved a second one.

"Portugal will be a tough game too. This week is about giving the players game time against strong opposition and we will be making sure as many players get that opportunity as possible."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Caoimhin Kelleher, Canice Carroll, Conor Masteron, Darragh Leahy, Conor Kane, JJ Lunney, Jayson Molumby, Steven Kinsella, Josh Barrett, Michael O’Connor, Dan Mandriou.

Subs: Shane Hanney for Carroll 46 mins; Anthony Scully for Barrett 46; Barry Cotter for Masterson 46; Dan McKenna for Molumby 57; Trevor Clarke for Kane 65; Zachary Elbouzedi for O’Connor 81.

FIXTURES

La Manga Invitational Tournament

Friday, February 10

Republic of Ireland 1-2 Norway, La Manga Club, Murcia

Sunday, February 12

Republic of Ireland v Portugal, La Manga Club, Murcia (12.00pm Irish)

Tuesday, February 14

Republic of Ireland v Slovakia, La Manga Club, Murcia  (12.00pm Irish)

Colin O'Brien's side beat the Romanians thanks to two goals from Sheffield United's Jordan Doherty. This win followed on from a similar victory over Hungary in the same location earlier this week.

The Romanians got off to a solid start and Irish keeper Tom Murphy made a solid save in the third minute after a Romania corner. Two minutes later Alexandru Pop headed wide for the opposition.

Aaron Connolly was denied by Romanian goalkeeper Andrei Cristea in the 16th minute after good work by Richie O'Farrell to send the Brighton striker through on goal.

Less than a minute later Ronan Manning sent in a cross that found Brandon Kavanagh and keeper Cristea made another block save.

Antonio Manolache produced a brilliant strike for Romania in the 19th minute but Everton keeper Tom Murphy made a top class save to keep it out.

Connolly shot over in the 26th minute then was denied an opener in the 39th minute when O'Farrell sent in a free-kick that Kavanagh flicked towards Connolly but keeper Cristea saved again.

The Romanians struck an Irish upright before the deadlock was finally broken in the 49th minute. A short corner routine ended with Kavanagh delivering and Doherty arriving on cue to flick home.

Antonio Sefer was denied an equaliser for Romania in the 51st minute after another good stop by Murphy.

Four minutes later Ireland were 2-0 up when Doherty arrived to head home from an Aaron Bolger free-kick.

"Overall today's game wrapped up a very productive week for us," said Irish boss O'Brien.

"Romania were a very good test and we took a good opportunity to look at the full squad and we achieved that. It was good to score two goals and keep another clean sheet so overall we're pleased.

"We scored from two decent set pieces and the deliveries were very good on both occasions topped off by excellent finishes from Jordan Doherty.

"Romania were very lively early on and we had to get to grips with it. We got two and could have got a third I felt but it's been a useful exercise.

"The players will have done themselves no harm. Our discipline was very good today when Romania put them under pressure and things got a bit niggly. The week has been a good help for our preparations for the UEFA Elite Phase next month."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Tom Murphy, Lee O'Connor, Cian Lee, Aaron Connolly, Marcus Rowley, Brandon Kavanagh, Jordan Doherty, Richard O'Farrell, Gavin Kilkenny, Ronan Manning, Darryl Walsh.

Subs: Aaron Bolger for Rowley 46 mins, Kameron Ledwidge for O'Connor 46; Rowan Roache for Connolly 46, Conor Coventry for O'Farrell 75; Luke Nolan for Manning 75.

U21 boss Noel King took the opportunity to look at a number of players based around the country as he prepares for the forthcoming UEFA U21 Championships qualifiers which begins with a clash with Kosovo next month.

Amateur international team manager Gerry Davis was looking to run the rule over players seeking to earn a place in his UEFA Regions Cup final tournament squad who visit Turkey for the finals this summer.

In the first half chances were at a premium with defences on top and the battles in midfield were very competitive, Finn Harps Ethan Boyle looked at ease in his midfield role and was always in the thick of things for the Under 21's. Hughie O' Donovan impressed for the Amateurs and was at the heart of everything.

The Under 21's looked the more likely to score in the first half with the Amateurs failing to make an impression upfront. In the second half the Amateurs came more in to the game Shane Daly Butz showed some nice touches. Neither Goalkeeper had to make any notable saves and with the weather conditions deteriorating both Managers were happy to see out the game with no major injury worries.

Noel King will sit down and work on his squad for the Tallaght encounter with Kosovo while Davis will have a bit more time before he names his thirty man squad that will compete in the UEFA Regions Cup Finals in Istanbul in June. 

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U21's : Kevin Horgan, Paudie O'Connor, Regan Donelan, Rory Feely, Gary Boylan, Ethan Boyle, Ben Doherty, Richie Purdy, Ronan Curtis, Conor Melody, Josh Daniels. Subs: Georgie Poynton, Darragh Noone, Alex O' Hanson, Harry Doherty, Ryan Robinson. 

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND AMATEURS: Mark Power, David Kiely, Sean McLoughlin, Conor Griffin, David Sweeney, Hughie O'Donovan, David Joyce, Andrew Gannon, Eoin Hayes, Chris Fox, Simon Falvey. Subs: Shane Daly Butz, Daniel Duggan, Padraig O' Connor, Chris Smith, Gary Neville, Stephen Kiely, Eoin Collins.

Amateurs international starting line-up

Birmingham City striker Ronan Hale grabbed the only goal with a stunning individual effort in the 69th minute and Ireland defended brilliantly throughout. Tom Mohan's side also had to show great character after being reduced to ten men for the final half hour due to the dismissal of Dan McKenna for two bookings.

Ireland could have grabbed a dramatic opener 52 seconds in when Hale had a clipped effort deflected onto the Portuguese crossbar from a low cross by Trevor Clarke

In the eighth minute Irish keeper Caoimhin Kelleher was tested for the first time when Miguel Luis squeezed a poked effort through a crowd of players and the Liverpool stopper got down well to hold the shot. Luis also had a header narrowly wide midway through the first half.

After a long period of controlled play from Mohan's side, Ireland were next to threaten in the 34th minute when Jayson Molumby had an over-head kick comfortably saved by Portuguese keeper Diogo Costa after right-wing cross by Zachary Elbouzedi.

Elbouzedi sent over another right-wing cross less than a minute later but Hale was unable to get a solid strike under pressure from a defender and the ball looped safely into the keeper's hands.

Portugal came close to forcing an opener three minutes into the second half when Mesaque Dju burst through the centre of the Irish defence and fired in a low strike that Kelleher took two attempts to save.

Ireland had a half-chance in the 54th minute when a right wing cross landed at the feet of Hale and he opted to turn and shoot rather than lay off to the supporting Trevor Clarke and his stike lacked a solid connection.

The Irish suffered a blow when McKenna was dismissed for a second bookable offence in the 58th minute after a challenge on Luis.

Ireland had a let off in the 65th minute when Midana Sambu produced a vicious low strike that rattled the base of the Irish left post.

The Irish then grabbed the lead in dramatic fashion when Hale burst down the left flank and cut inside before producing a stunning strike which found the net via the far post in the 69th minute.

Portugal had a gilt edged chance to level in the 81st minute but Pedro Marques headed a left wing cross straight at Kelleher and the Irish keeper saved easily.

Ireland's defence held firm from then on in and the hard work was rewarded with a memorable win. They face Slovakia in their final fixture of the tournament on Tuesday.

Mohan was delighted with his side's performance: "The boys did very well from the start. We'd a couple of good chances in the first half and just didn't finish them off. We defended very well even when we went down to ten men.

"Ronan Hale scored a great goal to put us ahead and the players responded very well with ten men and the subs came on to freshen things up and the whole team showed character.

"To beat a top nation like Portugal ahead of going into the UEFA Elite Phase will help give the players a confidence boost. We've looked at a few players here and it's good for them to experience that sort of game.

"It sets us up for the next game against Slovakia on Tuesday and we'll look for a similar performance. I felt we were very good in the first half and even with ten men we denied them opportunities."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Caoimhin Kelleher, Canice Carroll, Conor Kane, Conor Masterson, Darragh Leahy, Zachary Elbouzedi, Dan McKenna, Jayson Molumby, Trevor Clarke, Ronan Hale, Dan Mandroiu. Subs: Thomas O'Connor for Mandroiu 62, Steven Kinsella for Kane 73, Barry Cotter for Carroll 79, Josh Barrett for Hale 85.

RESULTS & FIXTURES

La Manga Invitational Tournament

Friday, February 10

Republic of Ireland 1-2 Norway, La Manga Club, Murcia

Sunday, February 12

Republic of Ireland 1-0 Portugal, La Manga Club, Murcia

Tuesday, February 14

Republic of Ireland v Slovakia, La Manga Club, Murcia  (12.00pm Irish)

Colin Bell has named 20 players in the Republic of Ireland Women's Senior Team squad for the 2017 Cyprus Cup tournament, which kicks off on Wednesday, March 1.

The tournament will be Bell's first involvement with the team since being appointed as the new Head Coach. The 55-year-old, who led FFC Frankfurt to UEFA Women's Champions League glory in 2015, is excited to get started.

"The Cyprus Cup is the ideal start for me. Through its intensity I will have the opportunity to see how the squad react, on and off the pitch, in a difficult situation. Four competitive matches in a week is tough for any team," said Bell.

"The focus in training can only be of a technical and tactical nature, plus recovery. This means that I will prioritise important elements of my philosophy without overloading the girls with too much information.

"One of these priorities will be team building/interaction between player-player and staff-player. For me, I will be looking to get as much information as I need for my players, and study the other teams during this tournament.

"The Cyprus Cup is from Day One the start of the road to France 2019. That is an important fact that I will be making clear throughout the tournament."

Depending on results, Ireland could advance from Group C and go all the way to the final. However, they will be in action regardless on the last day of the tournament on Wednesday, March 8 with a number of play-offs being hosted.

Bell's squad is made up of familiar faces, including Ireland's most capped women's senior international in goalkeeper Emma Byrne, who recently left Arsenal Ladies after 17 years to join Brighton & Hove Women.

Also making the cut are three representatives from Continental Tyres Women's National League champions Shelbourne Ladies in Amanda McQuillan, Roma McLaughlin, and Leanne Kiernan. Overall, there are seven home-based players included in the squad.

The tournament will act as the perfect warm-up to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers which kick off in September. The draw for that qualification campaign will be made in Nyon on Tuesday, April 25.

Ireland are also lining up a number of friendly games, including the visit of Slovakia to Tallaght Stadium on Monday, April 10. But, firstly, all the focus will be on the Cyprus Cup. 

Republic of Ireland WNT Squad
Goalkeepers: Emma Byrne (Brighton & Hove Albion), Amanda McQuillan (Shelbourne Ladies)
Defenders: Sophie Perry (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jetta Berrill (UCD Waves), Diane Caldwell (SC Sand), Louise Quinn (Unattached), Megan Campbell (Manchester City Women), Savannah McCarthy (Glasgow City)
Midfielders: Julie-Ann Russell, Karen Duggan (UCD Waves), Katie McCabe (Arsenal Ladies), Denise O'Sullivan (Houston Dash), Roma McLaughlin (Shelbourne Ladies), Ruesha Littlejohn (Celtic FC Women), Megan Connolly (Florida State University)
Forwards: Stephanie Roche (Sunderland Ladies), Aine O'Gorman (UCD Waves), Noelle Murray, Clare Shine (Glasgow City), Leanne Kiernan (Shelbourne Ladies)

Fixtures
Wednesday, March 1: Republic of Ireland v Czech Republic, KO 12:30 (Irish time)
Friday, March 3: Republic of Ireland v Hungary, KO 15:30 (Irish time)
Monday, March 6: Republic of Ireland v Wales, KO 12:30 (Irish time)
Wednesday, March 8: TBC

February 10th/11th/12th saw 20 delegates from 12 Amputee Football Federations attend for 3 days of Congress in Dublin, Ireland. Many areas of the game were covered including the 2017 European Championships , Junior Programs, development of new countries and Anti-Doping just to mention a few. 

It was great to see two new federations join the EAFF family with Scotland and Greece the newest members. That addition now makes it 15 countries in Europe playing amputee football with over 1300 registered players and just under 100 juniors playing the game. 

In 2 years the EAFF has grown from strength to strength and with the continued partnership and support of UEFA we are very confident of the continued growth within our game. Ireland's national amputee association, IAFA, govern the sport with the support of the FAI’s Football For All programme.

This helps in providing playing opportunities for players with a limb absence, congenital deficiency, or other limb affecting disorder with the opportunity to access Amputee Football at grassroots, national and International level.

If anyone is interested in more information on amputee football in Ireland check out www.irishamputeefootballassociation.com or visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Irish-Amputee-Footbal-Association/269910829696523

Together anything is possible.

This showdown promises to be a pulsating tie between two inform teams this season as the experienced Sacred Heart School, Westport and newcomers Coláiste na Trócaire, Rathkeale do battle for the first time in FAI Schools history. 

On paper, newcomers Coláiste na Trócaire may be slight favourites as they dispensed of defending Champions Presentation Secondary School, Thurles in their Munster decider with a narrow 1-0 victory while in their National Cup semi-final tie, two first have goals from Phoenix Mulclaire Shire and Eadaoin Lyons was enough to see of the threat of last year’s beaten finalists Presentation Secondary School, Kilkenny. Two major scalps on route to the National Cup Final stages! 

Cavan native, Killian Phair who is a PE teacher in Coláiste na Trócaire introduced soccer to the school in 2014 and the girls have relished the opportunity to compete at this level. The squad qualified for the Junior Cup Final in 2015 but narrowly missed out on the honours to Convent of Mercy, Roscommon with a Grainne Whyte goal the only difference between the two sides that afternoon. The experienced gained at that level will stand to the players as many are this involved with the squad. 

Likewise, Seamas MacEachmharcaigh’s crew have a long and distinguished history at this level. Seamas has been on the management staff of the Connacht Interprovincial squad for many years and the Westport contingency have a few National titles under their belts. Sacred Heart School have secured Connacht and National futsal titles in recent years with the first year’s doing well at the fast paced game.

The Westport school have two major National titles, with the girls capturing the Minor Cup in 2006, the Junior Cup in 2008 and were beaten semi-finalists in 2009 losing out 1-0 to Loreto Convent, Letterkenny. Most recently, the school were beaten finalists in 2013 at Minor level, falling to Presentation SS, Thurles in that encounter. 

The Connacht Champions have been razor sharp this year, despatching arch rivals Convent of Mercy, Roscommon 2-1 in a closely contested Provincial decider. Likewise their National Cup semi-final saw them up against an experienced Carndonagh Community School. They eventually won out 2-1 as a last-gasp winner by Anne Sheridan, who struck with extra time looming, broke Carndonagh hearts. Jenny Chambers had equalised right after Tara O’Connor netted the opener for Carndonagh with a quarter of an hour played. 

The final has been billed to entertain and no doubt this will be the case when the teams line out on Tuesday afternoon.

Sacred Heart School, Westport vs Coláiste na Trócaire, Rathkeale

Venue: Home Farm FC

Tuesday, February 14, KO 1pm

SACRED HEART SCHOOL, WESTPORT: Michelle Treacy, Ellie Dillane, Feena Mc Manamon, Aisling McNulty, Ann Sheridan, Leah Moran, Saoirse Ludden (Captain), Megan Nugent, Jennifer Chambers, Tara Mc Nulty, Megan Dever

SUBS: Roisin Carney, Ciara Moran, Ava Lambert, Emma Gibbons, Sarah Forrestal, Sherin El Massry, Lucy Wallace

TEACHER: Seamas Mac Eachmharcaigh ASSISTANT: Declan Moran

COLÁISTE NA TRÓCAIRE, RATHKEALE: Noirin Lenihan, Sarah Fitzgerald, Rachael Anderson, Kate Geary (Joint Captain), Siobhan Tangney, Tara Coleman, Eadaoin Lyons (Joint Captain), Claire Gohery, Phoenix Mulcaire Shire, Anna Shanagher, Grace Mullane

SUBS: Joanne Foley, Maeve Power, Aine Tangney, Orla O'Doherty, Anna Mullane. Amy Harnett, Ciara Houlihan (GK), Valerie Sheehy, Sophie Alymer, Hannah Moran, Molly O'Connor, Ciara O'Connor, Chloe Mullins

TEACHER: Killian Phair

REFEREE: Deirdre Nolan (Dublin)

Last season proved to be truly memorable as Dundalk retained the Premier Division title, lost out narrowly to Cork City in the Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup, and embarked on a historic run to the group stages of the UEFA Europa League.

St Patrick's Athletic held off Limerick to hold onto the EA SPORTS Cup, but Limerick were able to celebrate promotion as First Division champions, while Drogheda United joined them in the top flight following their terrific campaign.

It was another notable year for underage development with the Under 19 and Under 17 Leagues both producing more talented players and thrilling games. And then there was Cork City's amazing displays in the UEFA Youth League.

The 2017 season promises to be just as entertaining and everyone is looking forward to the action kicking off on Friday, February 24.

"We are thrilled to be supporting the SSE Airtricity League for the eighth year running. Each year the League goes from strength to strength and this year is no different," said Ronan Brady, Head of Marketing & Digital at SSE Airtricity.

"As dedicated League sponsors, for the new season we wanted to create a concept that was completely different, therefore creating 'The Next Generation of Legends'. We wanted to highlight the talent and success that the League has created through the years.

"Our League has created so many of our Irish Legends, so we want to encourage people to come and see the next generation in action right on your doorstep."

Fran Gavin, FAI Director of Competitions, believes the future is hugely encouraging for the SSE Airtricity League and made a number of exciting announcements in his annual address, including:

• 28 games to be shown live on RTE2 and eir Sport throughout the season
• Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup Semi-Finals & Final to be broadcast live on RTE2
• EA SPORTS Cup Final to be broadcast live on eir Sport on Saturday, September, 16
• Soccer Republic to continue showing weekly highlights and new features
• Two clubs to enter into the IRN-BRU Scottish Challenge Cup
• Appointment of a Marketing Executive to work solely on the SSE Airtricity League
• Marketing Group set up with two club representatives to focus on campaigns
• New SSE Airtricity League website, with live match centre, to be operational next week

Taking into account some of the recommendations made in the Consultation Process Report and Brand Review Report, a lot of work has been done in the off-season to focus on improving promotion of the SSE Airtricity League and this remains an ongoing process.

The appointment of a Marketing Executive for the League has been a huge step forward and that person will work closely with a new Marketing Group, which includes representatives from the clubs, sponsors, and the FAI, to devise ways of enhancing the overall promotion of the League.

A new official League website will be live in the run-up to the opening round of games. Created in association with the German FA, the website will transform the live match experience for League supporters as well as bringing the latest news and videos to a mobile-optimised platform.

Television coverage remains paramount to the promotion of the League, so the commitment of both RTE and eir Sport to broadcast live games is most welcome. RTE will also continue to show 'Soccer Republic' and have some exciting plans for new features.

Following discussions with the Scottish FA, both Bray Wanderers and Sligo Rovers will be entered into the IRN-BRU Scottish Challenge Cup for next season.

LIVE TV FIXTURES
Friday, February 24: Dundalk v Shamrock Rovers, Oriel Park, KO 20:00, eir Sport
Friday, March 3: Shamrock Rovers v Bohemians, Tallaght Stadium, KO 19:30, RTE2
Friday, March 10: Drogheda United v Cork City, United Park, KO 20:00, eir Sport
Saturday, March 25: Cork City v Dundalk, Turner's Cross, KO 15:00, RTE2
Friday, March 31: Dundalk v Drogheda United, Oriel Park, KO 19:30, RTE2
Friday, April 7: Cork City v Derry City, Turner's Cross, KO 19:30, RTE2

Both sides ended up being reduced to ten men in a scrappy encounter which brought the tournament to a close for Tom Mohan's side.

The highlight of the four-team event from an Irish perspective was Sunday's 1-0 win over Portugal and Mohan started just three of the players that were in the starting line-up against the Portuguese.

After a disjointed start to the game Slovakia had threatened a couple of times from set-pieces before they  took the lead in the 22nd minute in unusual circumstances when Viktor Jedinak charged down a clearance by Irish keeper Lee McCarron and the ball ended up rebounding into the net.

Ireland had a let off in the 26th minute when a snap shot from the edge of the box by Christian Herc flew narrowly wide.

Matters took a turn for the worst for the Irish when Barry Cotter was shown a red card for a second bookable offence in the 36th minute although the contact in the challenge was minimal.

Denis Baumgartner shot narrowly wide from ten yards out in the 38th minute as the Slovaks looked to put the game away then just over a minute later McCarron got down well to hold a long-range strike from Herc.

McCarron then dived bravely at the feet of Jedinak to deny the Slovaks a second goal on the stroke of half-time.

After weathering the storm Ireland equalised in the 54th minute when captain Darragh Leahy got his head to a free-kick fired in by Josh Barrett from the right flank and steered the ball home from eight yards out.

Unfortunately the Irish resolve was broken once again in the 65th minute when a short corner saw Samuel Kozlovsky head to the Irish net from a Martin Adamec delivery.

Michael O’Connor drew the best from Slovak keeper Martin Vantruba in the 69th minute when he dived full stretch to push a powerful strike around his right post after a Barrett free-kick was only cleared to the edge of the box.

McCarron got down well to deal with a low strike from Herc in the 72nd minute. Then the sides were even in terms of numbers when Slovakia’s Baumgartner was shown a red card for a dangerous challenge.

Unfortunately for the Irish they conceded again when another short corner saw Adamec cross from the right and Kristian Vallo fired home the loose ball from the edge of the box after the defence failed to clear the danger.

Ireland's focus now will be on next month's UEFA Elite Qualifying Round when they have a tough draw including Italy, Sweden and Belgium, who will host the mini-tournament.

Irish head coach Tom Mohan was disappointed with the result but felt that the week at La Manga will prove beneficial in preparation for next month's challenge.

"We were down to the bare bones today with six of the squad being unavailable for a variety of reasons and we were looking to give people game but the most important thing this week was to see players in game regardless of results," said Mohan.

"We didn't perform to the level we expect in the first half and that's the reality but in the second half the boys did really well especially with ten men. The concession of the second goal was a killer.

"We conceded a soft first goal then went down to ten men in the first half so that was a huge test but we regrouped at half-time and limited their chances and got back to 1-1 and I felt we were going well then we conceded a goal from a corner kick.

"We'll reflect positively on our transitions to attack when we had a couple of half-decent chances to get to 2-2 then when you are chasing the game you are open to being caught and that's what happened late on.

"We got what we wanted out of it this week. It's been a great opportunity to look at players and it has been good preparation for what we're going into. There's been a lot of positives with individual displays and we know where we are ahead of the UEFA Elite Phase."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Lee McCarron, Shane Hanney, Barry Cotter, Darragh Leahy, Trevor Clarke, JJ Lunney, Thomas O’Connor, Jayson Molumby, Anthony Scully, Josh Barrett, Michael O’Connor. Subs: Ronan Hale for Scully 46, Conor Kane for Molumby 46, Tyreke Wilson for Clarke 46.

RESULTS

La Manga Invitational Tournament

Friday, February 10

Republic of Ireland 1-2 Norway, La Manga Club, Murcia

Sunday, February 12

Republic of Ireland 1-0 Portugal, La Manga Club, Murcia

Tuesday, February 14

Republic of Ireland 1-3 Slovakia, La Manga Club, Murcia