"We welcome the changes introduced by the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015  and would encourage clubs across Ireland to apply for the partial exemption ahead of the September 15 deadline," said FAI Facilities Director Richard Fahey.

"There are potential significant saving on rates for many of our clubs thanks to this change so it is important that our clubs and leagues look into the opportunity that may be there for them."

Here is the official public notice in relation to the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015:

Partial Exemption from Commercial Rates for Community Sports Clubs

The Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015 provides a new partial exemption from commercial rates for Community Sports Clubs that are registered under the Registration of Clubs (Ireland) Act 1904. 

Buildings or part of buildings used for or in conjunction with the sale or consumption of alcohol or food, retail use or hire to non-community organisations continue to be liable for rates. 

In order to avail of this partial exemption, Community Sports Clubs registered under the Registration of Clubs (Ireland) Act 1904 are required to complete and submit an application, with supporting documentation, to the Valuation Office on or before Tuesday September 15th 2015.

Application forms and full details are available online from the Valuation Office website at www.valoff.ie , by emailing valuationservices@valoff.ie, or by telephoning the Valuation Office on 01 8171033.

The Hibernia Trophy has developed into one of the top schoolboy tournaments in the country and once again a stellar selection of entries are present including Celtic FC, Norwich City FCSunderland FC, Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, Nottingham Forest FC,  the hosts St Joseph’s Boys, the Republic of Ireland Development Squad and Northern Ireland Development Squad.

This tournament has become the traditional starting point on the international ladder for Ireland's underage players. These players have been selected after appearing in the SFAI Kennedy Cup with their leagues or having being identified in the Emerging Talent Programme nationally.

"The main point of the competition for us is that it involves using players who've been spotted in the Kennedy Cup and assessed so it's part of our development programme," said O'Brien.

"For these players its an opportunity to play high level games. They are not international games as such but will set things up nicely for when the international programme pushes on in September.

"This tournament ties in with the assessments we've done in the centres in the regions around the country over the summer.

"The players get to play teams from English and Scottish academies so the games will probably be a higher level and higher pace than what they may be used to. They may also play different styles of play."

O'Brien's charges commence their Hibernia Trophy programme against the host clubs St Joseph's Boys on Friday then play the academies of Sunderland and Leicester City on Saturday. On Sunday they will have a classification game to be determined by their final group position.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

Kian Clarke (St Kevin's Boys)

Harry Clarke (Cherry Orchard)

Nathan Collins (Cherry Orchard)

Kameron Ledwidge (St Kevin's Boys)

Kevin O'Reilly (Cherry Orchard)

Katlego Mashigo (St Kevin's Boys)

Barry Coffey (Nenagh AFC)

Elvis Azah (Deen Celtic)

Seanie Mahon (Cherry Orchard)

Caelin Rooney (Clashmore Ramblers)

Andrew Farrell (Cherry Orchard)

Tyreik Wright (Lakewood)

Adam Idah (Corinthians Boys)

Ciaran Brennan (East End Utd)

Mark Walsh (Gweedore Celtic)

Dean Murphy (Mervue Utd)

Ray O'Sullivan (St Kevin's Boys)

Conor O'Reilly (Bonagee Utd)

FIXTURES

Friday, August 14

Republic of Ireland Development Squad v St Joseph’s Boys, Pearse Park, Sallynoggin (6.00pm)

Saturday, August 15

Republic of Ireland Development Squad v Sunderland, Pearse Park, Sallynoggin (11.00am)

Republic of Ireland Development Squad v Leicester City, Pearse Park, Sallynoggin (2.30pm)

Find out more about Hibernia Trophy 2015 here

Gintra-Universitetas 0-1 Wexford Youths

Lithuanian side Gintra are the top seeds in the group so this victory thanks to Jess Gleeson's 67th minute free-kick gioal puts Will Doyle's side in pole position with fixtures to come against hosts Medyk Konin Thursday and Welsh outfit Cardiff Met on Sunday.

Wexford keeper Mary Rose Kelly was called into action in the 12th minute when she denied Ana Alekperova twice in quick succession.

Gintra keeper Greta Kaselytė was tested by Claire O'Riordan in the 31st minute and made a solid save then nine minutes later the same two players were involved once more with the Lithuanian keeper coming out on top again.

In the 44th minute Gintra had a big opportunity but once again Kelly made a crucial save to keep out a dangerous effort from Ange Nguessan.

In first half stoppage time Kelly's goal was threatened again but this time Nguessan's attempt narrowly missed the target.

After the break Wexford showed their quality and they duly took the lead through Jess Gleeson's long range free-kick in the 67th minute after Carol Breen had been fouled for a free-kick 35 yards from the Gintra goal.

Youths pushed hard to extend their lead and in the 70th minute Kaselytė denied O'Riordan again. Linda Douglas also had an effort saved by the Gintra keeper two minutes later.

Kaselytė denied debut girl Emma Hansberry in the 75th minute as Youths continued to press for the decisive second goal.

Four minutes into injury-time Kelly's class shown through once more as she denied Rita Akaffou after the same player's initial free-kick has been only partially cleared.

"It was a fantastic result. We did well but they were very good too. It was a 50-50 game but we got the breaks," said coach Will Doyle.

The goal was a long distance strike and nobody got a touch on it so we were delighted it went in. We do look to make sure deliveries like that are at least on target so we're very pleased that's what happened for us.

"Mary Rose Kelly made some good saves. All across our back four were excellent and there were a lot of big performances.

"We're delighted we got the win. We would have settled for a draw but we're delighted with the three points on a very warm day which was a test for our players."

GINTRA: Kaselytė, Mikutaitė, Laetitia, Neverdauskaitė, Veličkaitė, Zubchyk, Alekperova, Akaffou, Nguessan, Elloh, Imanalijeva (Gailevičiūtė 84).

WEXFORD YOUTHS: Kelly, Gleeson, Kennedy, Rossiter, Sinnott, Murphy (Fahy 62), Hansberry, Frawley (Wall 83), Douglas, O' Riordan (Cassin 78), Breen.

FIXTURES

UEFA Women’s Champions League, Qualifying Round, Group 7

Tuesday, August 11

Gintra Universitetas 0-1 Wexford Youths, Kleczew, Poland

Thursday, August 13

Wexford Youths v Medyk Konin, Konin, Poland, KO 5pm

Sunday, August 16

Cardiff Met v Wexford Youths, Kleczew, Poland, KO 4pm

The Continental Tyres Women's National League holders secured an impressive 1-0 win over top seeds Gintra Universitetas of Lithuania on Tuesday while Medyk Konin beat Cardiff Met 5-0 in their opener.

Should Will Doyle's side record a victory over the hosts in this fixture they will qualify for the next stage should the result of Gintra and Cardiff Met go in their favour.

Doyle watched the Poles in action on Tuesday after his own side's victory so knows the challenge ahead of his troops - particularly given the soaring temperatures in Konin.

“It’ll be a massive game. We watched about 60 minutes of the against Cardiff Met and they looked a decent side. They are well-organised and scored five goals which speaks for itself," he said.

"They are confident they'll win the group because they think we’ve done them a favour. They have home advantage but we’ve brought a lot of fans over and the support we’ve had has really impressed everybody.

“They are very well-coached team, with good athletes and physical edge to them too but I am still hopeful we can get a result."

After his side showed great resolve to carve out a victory in their opener in testing conditions, Doyle feels they have enough in their armoury to surprise Medyk Konin.

“Cardiff played a very high defensive line and with the pace that the Polish side had in their ranks they basically took advantage to score the same type of goal four times. If that happened to us I feel we’d react and deal with it," he added.

“The heat was very testing in our game and it obviously takes its toll on the players so we've taken things lightly today and will see how the players are before tomorrow's game.

“The Polish side are very similar to us so it we’ll try to match up with them all over the pitch and then it’ll come down to winning individual battles."

FIXTURES

UEFA Women’s Champions League, Qualifying Round, Group 7

Tuesday, August 11

Gintra Universitetas 0-1 Wexford Youths, Kleczew, Poland

Thursday, August 13

Wexford Youths v Medyk Konin, Konin, Poland, KO 5pm

Sunday, August 16

Cardiff Met v Wexford Youths, Kleczew, Poland, KO 4pm. 

After starting their qualifying campaign in the best possible way - beating Gintra Universitetas 1-0 last Tuesday - Will Doyle's side were hopeful of building on that against the host team.

However, an early goal from Katarzyna Daleszczyk knocked the Continental Tyres Women's National League champions off guard and even though they played extremely well in patches they were unable to dominate in the searing afternoon heat.

The home team, though, piled on the pressure and saw Aleksandra Sikora add a second goal on 18 minutes to give them a 2-0 half-time lead. Wexford had brought on captain Kylie Murphy by that stage.

Medyk Konin raised the tempo in the second period and fired in four more goals with Daleszczyk netting a second while Patricia Balcerzak (2) and Agata Tarczynska were also on target.

Goalkeeper Mary Rose Kelly pulled off a number of superb saves and the effort of the Wexford players to keep battling was admirable considering the draining heat and the quality of their opponents.

"We learned some tough lessons and the standard of play we were up against is something that a lot of the players hadn't experienced before," said Doyle.

"We will take massive positives from this and will push on for Sunday's game and the commencement of the Women's National League."

Wexford will now switch their focus towards Sunday's final qualifying game in Group 7 when they meet Cardiff Met, who have conceded 10 goals in two defeats so far.

Doyle knows that his players have the quality to finish these qualifiers on a high and that is exactly what they will be aiming to do once the action kicks off at 4pm on Sunday afternoon.

Wexford Youths: Kelly; Sinnott, Gleeson, Kennedy, Rossiter; Fahy, Hansberry; Delahunty (Douglas 60), Breen (Murphy 39), Frawley; O'Riordan (Cassin 78).

Medyk Konin: Szymanska, Dudek (Pakulska 79), Sikora, Nikolic, Slavcheva, Gawronska, Grad (Grzywinska 86), Daleszczyk, Ficza, Tarczynska (Sturanovic 86), Balcerzak.

Referee: Ana Minic (Serbia).

The 28-year-old from Milwaukee won 33 caps between her debut in August 2010 against Netherlands and her final game in a green shirt against Germany in October 2014. Ireland manager Sue Ronan left the door open for the midfield dynamo to return for the forthcoming EURO 2017 qualifiers but Smyth has now confirmed that her playing days at the highest level are over.

Announcing her decision, Shannon Smyth said: “I had a fantastic discussion with Sue when I made my initial decision last winter and I felt that the timing was right for me to go out on my own terms, healthy and motivated to pursue my coaching career full-time. Sue did offer me a spot to join the squad for one more outing against the USA in May, but I am very content with my final efforts on the night of my last Irish game in Germany and I felt it best to leave that spot available for another player who was in the same position as I was five years ago, hoping to break into the squad and hold on to that spot. 

“It was a very hard decision for me, but I had been thinking about it as the World Cup qualifiers were coming to an end and 2014 marked the end of my fifth season in Norway. Having grown up in America, my decision to play professional soccer abroad was synonymous with my aspirations to play for Ireland's senior squad. I hadn't earned my first cap until after the summer break in my first year in Norway so my intentions and work had begun to pay off. The next four years were truly a labour of love to push myself as a pro and to compete with such an amazing group of women and staff whenever called in with the Irish team. 

“I know myself and I knew that if I stayed even just one more season in Norway that would bring me to the beginning of qualifiers for the Euros which in my mind is truly another two-three year commitment to see out the campaign. I had to be honest with myself and ask if I saw my life on the pitch three years down the road. I suppose it is a very much an all or nothing approach which I hope was also evident in my attitude to my teammates and coaches every time I stepped on the field. To be able to travel the world with your best friends and compete in a game you love was a gift and a time in my life I will remember forever.”

Women’s National Team manager Sue Ronan said: “It was a pleasure to work with Shannon. She made her debut in my first match in charge of the senior team and she never let me down. Her attitude on and off the pitch was first class and infectious. She was constantly pushing the bar and demanding more off everybody and I have no doubt she will go on to have a very successful career in coaching. When she told me of her plans after the Germany game last September I told her go away and think about it and I would leave the door open for her as she would be a great asset to have for the Euro 2017 qualifiers. She has now confirmed her decision and I respect her for that. Shannon has been a great servant to Irish women’s football and I am sure she will contribute even more in the future. ”

Since quitting playing, Smyth has returned to the USA and is Youth Technical Director at North Shore United in Wisconsin where she oversees the programme for boys and girls from U11 to U14 and is Head Coach of the U12 and U13 Girls Teams. She is also a coaching licence instructor in her home state, Wisconsin, and a staff coach for the USA’s Olympic Development Program.

The Irish host the Scots at Pat Kennedy Park, Listowel, on Tuesday, August 18 (6.30pm) then the sides meet against at Tulla United AFC in Clare on Thursday, August 20 (11.00am).

These fixtures will commence the next campaign for Connell's squad and the Irish coach has included several players who starred in the WU17 team last season and others who featured at WU19 level last season.

"It's the first time we've come together as a new group. A lot of girls are making the transition from Under-17 level to Under-19s so we're looking forward to seeing them in action," said Connell.

"We're missing up to nine players who may well have been here. We have some gone to the US on scholarships and others are on holidays plus Roma McLaughlin has an injury.

"Whatever way you look at it, It's going to be really tough for all of the players to get into the squad for September for the qualifiers.

"We're looking for a performance from them in the two games this week so that they can stake a claim to be involved in the competitive games."

Connell will have a new backroom staff as his former assistant Dave Bell has now moved to take charge of the Women's U17 team.

"Maz Sweeney and Adrian Carberry have come into the management team so it's a good opportunity for the technical staff to have a look at these players and for us all to work together." He said.

"Scotland are one of the emerging countries in women's football with a lot of resources put into the game there and a strong national league. I'm at a conference with some of their coaches in Iceland this week and when you hear about the impressive academies they have you can see how they've developed so they'll be tough tests no doubt."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND WOMEN'S U19 SQUAD

Amanda McQuillan (Shelbourne Ladies FC)

Nadine Maher (Shelbourne Ladies FC)

Nicole Gordon (Greencastle FC)

Niamh Nelson (San Diego Surf)

Chloe Moloney (Connolly Celtic FC)

Keeva Keenan (Shelbourne Ladies FC)

Evelyn Daly (Lakewood FC)

Jamie Finn (Shelbourne Ladies FC)

Sarah McKevitt (Killenaule FC)

Dearbhaile Beirne (Shelbourne Ladies FC)

Lauren Kealy (Peamount United FC)

Eleanor Ryan-Doyle (UCD Waves)

Sarah Jane McDonald (Greencastle FC)

Erin Best (Peamount United FC)

Emma Byrne (Peamount United FC)

Zoe McGlynn (Sion Swifts FC)

Savannah McCarthy (UCD Waves)

Lucy McCartan (Peamount United FC)

Fiona Donnelly (Shelbourne Ladies FC)

Sophie Watters (Shelbourne Ladies FC)

FIXTURES

Women’s Under 19 International Friendlies

Tuesday, August 18

Republic of Ireland v Scotland, Pat Kennedy Park, Listowel (6.30pm)

Thursday, August 20

Republic of Ireland v Scotland, Tulla, Co Clare (11.00am)

Ireland's first half goal was brilliant finish from Adam Idah after great skill by the Irish down the right to create the opportunity.

The second goal came in the second half when Elvis Azah produced a stunning long distance strike to seal the win.

The remaining fixtures are:

Saturday 15th August    

A             Wolves v Sunderland     11.00am

A             FAI Development Squad v St Joseph’s Boys         11.00am

B             Celtic v Norwich City       12.30pm

B             Northern Ireland v Nottingham Forest   12.30pm

A             FAI Development Squad v Sunderland   2.30pm

A             Wolves v St Joseph’s Boys           2.30pm

B             Celtic v Nottingham Forest          4.00pm

B             Northern Ireland v Norwich City                4.00pm

Sunday 16th August

5th / 6th Playoff               3rd Group A v 3rd Group B           10.00am

7th / 8th Playoff               4th Group A v 4th Group B           10.00am

3rd / 4th Playoff               2nd Group A v 2nd Group B         11.15am

Final       1st Group A v 1st Group B            12.45pm

Further tournament information is available here: http://www.hiberniatrophy.com/ 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 1

Bray Wanderers v Cabinteely, Jackson Park, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 2

Athlone Town v Longford Town, Athlone Town Stadium, 14:00.

Sligo Rovers v Mervue United, The Showgrounds, 14:00.

Salthill Devon v St Patrick’s Athletic, Drom, 15:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 3

Derry City v Shelbourne, Brandywell Stadium, 14:00.

Dundalk v Finn Harps, Oriel Park, 14:00.

Bohemians v Drogheda United, Oscar Traynor Centre, 15:00.

Club Friendlies

Bray Wanderers v Greystones, Greystones, 12:30.

St Patrick’s Athletic U19  v Maynooth, Rathcoffey Road, 12:30.

Bohemians U19 v Dundalk U19, Dalymount Park, 13:00.

Cork City U19 v Shelbourne U19, Bishopstown Stadium, 14:00.

Cobh Ramblers U19 v Tramore, St Colman’s Park, 15:00.

Limerick U19 v Athlone Town U19, Hogan Park, 15:00.

Galway United U19 v Galway Hibernians, Bohermore, 19:15.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16

UEFA Women's Champions League Qualifying Round Group 7

Cardiff Met Ladies FC v Wexford Youths Women’s AFC, Kleczew Stadium, Kleczew (POL), 16:00 (Irish time).

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 1

UCD v Wexford Youths, AUL Complex, 14:00.

Waterford United v Limerick FC, RSC, 14:00.

Cobh Ramblers v Cork City, St Colman’s Park, 14:30.

Club Friendlies

Dunboyne FC v Drogheda United U19, Dunboyne, 11:00

Limerick FC U19 v Athlone Town U19, Hogan Park, 15:00

MONDAY, AUGUST 17

SSE Airtricity League Premier Division

Shamrock Rovers v Cork City, Tallaght Stadium, 19:05. (Live on RTE2)

Bray Wanderers v Bohemians, Carlisle Grounds, 19:45.

Dundalk v St. Patrick’s Athletic, Oriel Park, 19:45.

Galway United v Drogheda United, Eamonn Deacy Park, 19:45.

Limerick v Longford Town, Markets Field, 19:45.

Sligo Rovers v Derry City, The Showgrounds, 19:45.

SSE Airtricity League First Division

UCD v Athlone Town, The UCD Bowl, 19:45.

Club Friendlies

Cobh Ramblers U19 v Cobh Wanderers, St Colman’s Park, 19:30.

Cabinteely v St James’ Gate, Stradbrook, 19:45.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18

Women's Under 19 International Friendly

Republic of Ireland v Scotland, Pat Kennedy Park, Listowel, 18:30.

SSE Airtricity League U17 Section 1

Bray Wanderers v Cabinteely, Carlisle Grounds, 19:30.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20

Women's Under 19 International Friendly

Republic of Ireland v Scotland, Tulla United FC, 11:00.

Club Friendlies

Drogheda United U19 v St Patrick’s Athletic U19, United Park, 19:30.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 21

Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup Third Round

Cork City v St Patrick’s Athletic, Turner’s Cross, 19:25. (Live on RTE2)

Sherriff YC v Athlone Town, Clontarf Astro, 19:30.

Bohemians v Bray Wanderers, Dalymount Park, 19:45.

Derry City v Drogheda United, Brandywell Stadium, 19:45.

Galway United v Dundalk, Eamonn Deacy Park, 19:45.

Tolka Rovers v Killester United, Frank Cooke Park, 19:45.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22

Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup Third Round

Cockhill Celtic v Longford Town, Charlie O’Donnell Sports Grounds, 17:00.

Cobh Wanderers v Sligo Rovers, St Colman’s Park, 19:00.

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 1

UCD v Cork City, Belfield Park, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 2

Bohemians v Shelbourne, Blanchardstown IT, 12:00.

Athlone Town v St Patrick’s Athletic, Lisseywollen, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 1

Cork City v UCD, Bishopstown, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 2

Mervue United v Salthill Devon, Fahy’s Field, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 3

Shelbourne v Dundalk, Tolka Park, 12:00.

Drogheda United v Derry City, United Park, 14:00

Monaghan United-Cavan FP v Bohemians, Gortakeegan, 14:00.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 1

Cobh Ramblers v Limerick, St Colman’s Park, 14:00.

Waterford United v Bray Wanderers, RSC, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 2

Galway United v Shamrock Rovers, Eamonn Deacy Park, 15:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 1

Cabinteely v Wexford Youths, Stradbrook, 14:00.

Limerick v Cobh Ramblers, Hogan Park, 14:00.

Waterford United v Bray Wanderers, RSC, 14:00.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 2

St Patrick’s Athletic v Athlone Town, ALSAA, 14:00.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 25

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 1

Cork City v Cobh Ramblers, Bishoptown Stadium, 18:30.

Wexford Youths v UCD, Ferrycarrig Park, 18:30.

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 2

Shelbourne v Galway United, Tolka Park, 18:30.

St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemians, ALSAA, 18:30.

Longford Town v Athlone Town, City Calling Stadium, 19:00.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26

Women's Under 19 International Friendly

Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland, AUL Complex, TBC.

SSE Airtricity U19 League Section 1

Limerick v Waterford United, Hogan Park, 18:30.

SSE Airtricity U17 League Section 2

Shamrock Rovers v Sligo Rovers, Tallaght Stadium, 19:00.

Will Doyle's side started with an impressive 1-0 win over Gintra Universitetas on Tuesday but then suffered a disappointing 6-0 loss to host club KKPK Medyk Konin. A victory tomorrow could put them into a three-way share of top spot on six points but they would lose out in the head to head.

“Everybody is close to 100 per cent now. A few bouts of sickness has been dealt with so I think they are all available now,” said Doyle.

“The heat has taken its toll and probably a few of the girls were sick due to playing two games in over 30 degrees heat which is not something we’d be used to.

“It was a top class side we played. We had a big chat about it afterwards and the feedback we got from Konin was that they were surprised that we kept going and didn’t drop off and defend. They usually play teams that just keep dropping off so they admired our attitude but we kept attacking and they picked us off on the break.

“We want to restore pride in our last group game at the very least and go out to get a victory. We want to guarantee ourselves second spot.

“Tomorrow is all about us. I hope that more of the girls can get involved so they’ve all had a taste of Champions League. Cardiff are decent side and the heat has hit them too so it should be an even game.”

RESULTS & FIXTURES

Tuesday, August 11

Gintra Universitetas 0-1 Wexford Youths Women’s AFC

KKPK Medyk Konin 5-0 Cardiff Met Ladies FC

Thursday, August 13

Gintra Universitetas 5-1 Cardiff Met Ladies FC

Wexford Youths Women’s AFC 0-6 KKPK Medyk Konin

Sunday, August 16

KKPK Medyk Konin v Gintra Universitetas, Złotej Jedenastki, Konin (5.00pm)

Cardiff Met Ladies FC v Wexford Youths Women’s AFC, Kleczew (5.00pm)

Today saw their final fixture when they beat Northern Ireland's Development Squad 3-2 in a cracking encounter at Pearse Park.

Goals by Mark Walsh, Seanie Mahon and Caelin Rooney secured the final day win for the FAI squad and O'Brien was pleased with the overall experience for his squad.

The Irish began with a 2-0 win over Wolves on Friday with Adam Idah and Elvis Azah finding the net. On Saturday O'Brien's troops played two games - they beat hosts St Joseph's Boys 3-1 with Ciaran Brennan scoring twice and Elvia Azah also finding net. Azah also scored in their third fixture against Sunderland which ended in a 2-1 loss.

O'Brien's side finished on equal points, goals scored and goal difference with Sunderland but the Black Cats progressed to the final due to head to head result. Celtic won today's final to claim the title.

"This tournament is always a very good exercise for what we look for in the early stage. It's a fair assessment of players, they get opportunities to play and experience different types of opposition," said O'Brien.

"For example, they got a different challenge against Sunderland, who got it back to front quickly. This tournament helps the players get their eyes opened to different levels of the game and equally important they get their minds opened.

"During the months of July and August we've had regional assessments and we have two more visits to do this week to the regional Emerging Talent Programme centres and so players who do well will get involved in our next get-together in September.

"From the assessment phase we go into training camp and then the first international matches will be in November."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

Kian Clarke (St Kevin's Boys)

Harry Clarke (Cherry Orchard)

Nathan Collins (Cherry Orchard)

Kameron Ledwidge (St Kevin's Boys)

Kevin O'Reilly (Cherry Orchard)

Katlego Mashigo (St Kevin's Boys)

Barry Coffey (Nenagh AFC)

Elvis Azah (Deen Celtic)

Seanie Mahon (Cherry Orchard)

Caelin Rooney (Clashmore Ramblers)

Andrew Farrell (Cherry Orchard)

Tyreik Wright (Lakewood)

Adam Idah (Corinthians Boys)

Ciaran Brennan (East End Utd)

Mark Walsh (Gweedore Celtic)

Dean Murphy (Mervue Utd)

Ray O'Sullivan (St Kevin's Boys)

Conor O'Reilly (Bonagee Utd)

Wexford Youths 5-1 Cardiff Met

With host club Medyk Konin beating Lithuanian top seeds Gintra 4-0 in the other fixture it meant they won the group.

Ireland international Carol Breen was the star of the show with four goals on the day and she put Will Doyle's side off to a flyer when she turned the ball home in the third minute.

Breen then made it 2-0 in the sixth minute after Cardiff Met keeper Sara Moreira saved Claire O'Riordan's initial effort.

Becky Cassin extended that lead on the half-hour before Breen completed an impressive hat-trick three minutes before the break.

The Welsh side's captain Emily Allen pulled on back on the hour but Breen wrapped up the scoring in the 80th minute to finish off an excellent week for the Continental Tyres Women's National League champions.

"We finished on a high. The first half was a decent performance but in the second half we let it go a little as we knew the other score so it was in Konin's hands," said Will Doyle.

"I was delighted to get two wins, I wouldn't have changed much of what we did against Konin. We were just against a very good side in testing conditions and we fell short in that one.

"Carol was fantastic all week. She had a point to prove and she made it. It was a brilliant individual performance to score four times in UEFA Champions League game.

"I couldn't ask much more from the girls, the heat was a massive issue. We tried to rotate players and we're delighted to go home with the two wins. I was pleased to get as many players as we could onto the pitch and experience this level of the game.

"We have to switch on for the league campaign now and we want to retain that title and have another opportunity to play at this level next year."

CARDIFF MET: Sara Moreira, Scherschel , Billingham, Tucker, Sargent, O'Connor, Murray, Allen, Fever, Mathias (Todd 32), Davy (Ayling 78).

WEXFORD YOUTHS WOMEN'S AFC: Kelly, Gleeson, Fahy, Murphy, Cassin, Kennedy (Hutchinson 46), O'Riordan (Webb 46), Breen, Rossiter, Sinnott, Douglas (Frawley 79).

Top Performer
Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United)
A goal in each half from the Dubliner helped his team beat Crewe 2-0 in League One followed on from his strike in the Capitol One Cup clash with Barnsley last week. He will be aiming to hit double figures again this season.

Watch Out For
Pat Hoban (Oxford United)
The former Dundalk frontman has been used as an impact substitute in three games so far this season, but that role could soon change after he netted a late equalisier in the 2-2 draw away to Luton Town.

Irish Manager Monitor
In the Championship, Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion sealed a late 2-1 win away to Fulham, while Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town overcame Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 at Portman Road with four Irish players in action.

Further Afield
Republic of Ireland striker Andy Keogh played a key role in helping Ratchaburi record a 2-0 victory over Army United in the Thai Premier League, where he has been playing since July after leaving Perth Glory in the A-League.

Goalkeeper Gary Hogan was an un-used substitute for Sandefjord in their 1-1 draw with Tromso in the Norweigan Eliteserien following his move from Ullern. In England’s Vanarama National League, Padraig Amond scored twice for Grimsby Town in their 4-1 win over Bromley to make it three goals in as many games.

Women’s Focus
Louise Quinn helped Eskilstuna United keep the pressure on Damallsvenskan leaders Rosengard following a 2-1 win away to Umea. While in the Scottish Women’s League, Denise O’Sullivan scored and Clare Shine featured for Glasgow City in their 3-3 draw with Hibernian Ladies.

A busy weekend in the FA WSL Cup saw Stephanie Roche’s Sunderland Ladies crash out in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City Ladies and Niamh Fahey came on as Chelsea Ladies beat Arsenal Ladies 2-0, who had Emma Byrne on the bench. And in Norway’s Toppserien, midfielder Emma Beckett was on the wrong end of a 7-2 hammering as Amazon Grimstad lost to LSK Kvinner.

Weekend Stats

Premier League
11 appearances– Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace), Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy (Everton), Robbie Brady, Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City), Shane Long (Southampton), Stephen Ireland, Jonathan Walters, Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion)
4 un-used substitutes– Shay Given (Stoke City), John O’Shea (Sunderland), Rene Gilmartin (Watford), Darren Randolph (West Ham United)
2 yellow cards– James McCarthy (Everton), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City)

Championship
25 appearances– Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City), Shane Duffy (Blackburn Rovers), Alan Judge, Alan McCormack (Brentford), Derrick Williams (Bristol City), Joe Mason, Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City), Jeff Hendrick, Richard Keogh (Derby County), Joe Murphy, Sean Scannell (Huddersfield Town), David Meyler (Hull City), Jonathan Douglas, David McGoldrick, Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town), Samir Carruthers, Darren Potter (MK Dons), Alan Browne, Greg Cunningham (Preston North End), Simon Cox, Paul McShane, Stephen Quinn (Reading), Lee Frecklington, Aidan White (Rotherham United), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday)
1 goalscorer– Alan Judge (Brentford)
6 un-used substitutes– Jack Bonham (Brentford), Stephen Ward (Burnley), Eoin Doyle (Cardiff City), Jay Tabb (Ipswich Town), Paul Green (Rotherham United), Matt Doherty (Wolves)
2 yellow cards– Jonathan Douglas (Ipswich Town), Greg Cunningham (Preston North End)

League One
27 appearances– Conor Hourihane, Conor Wilkinson (Barnsley), Billy Clarke, Alan Sheehan (Bradford City), Damien McCrory (Burton Albion), Jay O’Shea (Chesterfield), Jimmy Ryan (Fleetwood Town), John Egan, Bradley Garmston (Gillingham), David Forde, Shaun Williams (Millwall), Sam Foley, Sam Kelly (Port Vale), Donal McDermott, Joe Rafferty (Rochdale), Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United), Conor Sammon (Sheffield United), James Collins, Liam Lawrence, Liam McAlinden (Shrewsbury Town), Cian Bolger, Gary Deegan, David Mooney (Southend United), Anton Rodgers (Swindon Town), Anthony Forde (Walsall), Chris McCann, Sean Murray (Wigan Athletic)
5 goalscorers– Conor Hourihane (Barnsley), Billy Clarke (Bradford City), Donal McDermott (Rochdale), Paddy Madden [2] (Scunthorpe United), Anton Rodgers (Swindon Town)
4 un-used substitutes– Charles Dunne (Blackpool), Anthony O’Connor, Callum Reilly (Burton Albion), Michael Timlin (Southend United)
6 yellow cards– Jimmy Ryan (Fleetwood Town), John Egan, Bradley Garmston (Gillingham), Shaun Williams (Millwall), James Collins (Shrewsbury Town), Cian Bolger (Southend United)

League Two
20 appearances– Seamus Conneely (Accrington Stanley), Graham Stack (Barnet), Barry Corr, Keith Keane (Cambridge United), Kane Ferdinand (Dag & Red), Jake Carroll (Hartlepool United), Alan Dunne (Leyton Orient), Jamie Devitt, Barry Roche (Morecambe), Mark Byrne (Newport County), Graham Burke (Notts County), Pat Hoban, Callum O’Dowda (Oxford United), Graham Carey, Carl McHugh (Plymouth Argyle), Michael Doyle, Brian Murphy, Enda Stevens (Portsmouth), Michael Harriman (Wycombe Wanderers), James Berrett (Yeovil Town)
2 goalscorers– Barry Corr [2] (Cambridge United), Pat Hoban (Oxford United)
8 un-used substitutes– Gary Dicker (Carlisle United), Gearoid Morrissey (Cambridge United), Shamir Fenelon (Crawley Town), Jack Connors (Dag & Red), Clinton Morrison (Exeter City), Paul Corry, John-Joe O’Toole (Northampton Town), Eddie Nolan (Yeovil Town)
3 yellow cards – Keith Keane (Cambridge United), Jake Carroll (Hartlepool United), James Berrett (Yeovil Town)
1 clean sheet – Barry Roche (Morecambe)

Scottish Premiership
6 appearances– Willo Flood, Jonny Hayes, Adam Rooney (Aberdeen), Mark Connolly (Kilmarnock), Graham Cummins, Joe Shaughnessy (St Johnstone)
2 un-used substitutes– Anthony Stokes (Celtic), Sean Dillon (Dundee United)
1 yellow card – Mark Connolly (Kilmarnock)

MLS
3 appearances– Kevin Doyle, Sean St Ledger (Colorado Rapids), Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)
1 goalscorer– Robbie Keane [2] (LA Galaxy)

Compiled by GARETH MAHER

The Kerry native is part of Dave Connell’s squad for two friendly games – the first of which takes place on Tuesday afternoon in Pat Kennedy Park, where she first learned to play football.

Now with UCD Waves in the Continental Tyres Women’s National League, McCarthy is bound to receive a rapturous reception considering her exploits for club and country in recent years.

The powerful defender starred for Connell’s U19 team that reached the semi-finals of the 2014 UEFA European Championships and helped UCD finish as runners-up in the League and FAI Women’s Cup.

She is now excited about what is coming next, starting with an international game in her home town.

“It’s great to be playing this game in Listowel because it’s my home town, my old club, my old management team, and all of my family and friends will there,” said McCarthy.

“Listowel were my first club. I was six years old when I first went down there and I played with them right up until last year when I left for UCD Waves. I still go back quite a lot to train, so it will be like I never left.

“It’s really exciting to be hosting an international game though. The facilites are great, the people there are amazing, and there is going to be a big crowd. For me, it’s going to be good too, but for my team-mates as well.”

Connell intends to use the games in Listowel and Tulla, County Clare as preparation for the upcoming UEFA First Phase qualifiers in Slovenia as they target a place in next summer’s finals.

As one of the team’s senior players, McCarthy is bound to play a key role in that bid to reach the tournament in Slovakia and it is a challenge that she is relishing having already played (and scored) in a finals.

“My aim is to qualify for the finals. This will be my last year with the Under 19s, so I want to finish with them on a high,” said McCarthy.

“I’ve seen the good side of playing for the Under 19s by qualifying for the finals in Norway in 2014 and also the bad side when we didn’t get out of first phase qualifiers last year. So I know how important every game will be.

“You can’t underestimate any team at this level because you will get punished. We just have to work hard on the training pitch and bring that into games to produce the kind of results that we want.”

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND WOMEN’S U19 SQUAD

Amanda McQuillan (Shelbourne Ladies FC)
Nadine Maher (Shelbourne Ladies FC)
Nicole Gordon (Greencastle FC)
Fiona Donnelly (Shelbourne Ladies FC)
Niamh Nelson (San Diego Surf)
Chloe Moloney (Connolly Celtic FC)
Lauren Kealy (Peamount United FC)
Savannah McCarthy (UCD Waves)
Keeva Keenan (Shelbourne Ladies FC)
Emma Byrne (Peamount United FC)
Jamie Finn (Shelbourne Ladies FC)
Evelyn Daly (Lakewood FC)
Lucy McCartan (Peamount United FC)
Erin Best (Peamount United FC)
Sarah Jane McDonald (Greencastle FC)
Sophie Watters (Shelbourne Ladies FC)
Sarah McKevitt (Killenaule FC)
Zoe McGlynn (Sion Swifts FC)
Dearbhaile Beirne (Shelbourne Ladies FC)
Eleanor Ryan Doyle (UCD Waves)

FIXTURES

Tuesday, August 18
Republic of Ireland v Scotland, Pat Kennedy Park, Listowel (6.30pm)

Thursday, August 20
Republic of Ireland v Scotland, Tulla, Co Clare (11am)

Today’s provisional squad announcement sees the inclusion of Bournemouth’s Eunan O’Kane, who earns a first senior call-up and is joined by the uncapped duo of Brentford’s Alan Judge and Aberdeen’s Adam Rooney.

The squad will be shortened ahead of assembling on the evening of August 30.

Speaking at today's press conference at the FAI headquarters, Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill said: “These are two very important games in our qualifying campaign and we are looking forward to them. The players are all now back in action with their respective clubs and will be ready for these games.

“We will be training at the new FAI National Training Centre in preparation for the trip to Faro to take on Gibraltar and the home game against Georgia at Aviva Stadium. The facilities are very impressive and we look forward to making this our training base for all future international camps.”

Tickets are currently on general sale for the Georgia game through www.ticketmaster.ie and are also available through clubs and leagues. See fai.ie for details.

Name Club DOB Caps Goals

David Forde (Millwall) 20/12/1979 23 0

Shay Given (Stoke City) 20/04/1976 130 0

Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday) 23/10/1984 18 0

Darren Randolph( West Ham United) 12/05/1987 2 0

Rob Elliot (Newcastle United) 30/04/1986 3 0

Richard Keogh (Derby County) 11/08/1986 7 1

Marc Wilson (Stoke City) 17/08/1987 23 1

Seamus Coleman (Everton) 11/10/1988 28 0

Cyrus Christie (Derby County) 30/09/1992 1 0

John O’Shea (Sunderland) 30/04/1981 104 3

Alex Pearce (Derby County) 09/11/1988 6 2

Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa) 26/09/1989 11 1

Paul McShane (Reading) 06/01/1986 32 0

James McCarthy (Everton) 12/11/1990 27 0

Jeff Hendrick (Derby County) 31/01/1992 13 0

Stephen Ward (Burnley) 20/08/1985 29 2

Greg Cunningham (Preston North End) 31/01/1991 4 1

Harry Arter (Bournemouth) 28/12/1989 1 0

Glenn Whelan (Stoke City) 13/01/1984 64 2

Eunan O’Kane (Bournemouth) 10/07/1990 0 0

Aiden McGeady (Everton) 04/04/1986 76 5

James McClean (West Bromwich Albion) 22/04/1989 30 4

Alan Judge (Brentford) 11/11/1988 0 0

Robbie Brady (Norwich City) 14/01/1992 14 3

Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City) 06/06/1988 8 1

Stephen Quinn (Reading) 04/04/1986 12 0

David Meyler (Hull City) 29/05/1989 13 0

Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City) 20/05/1982 19 2

Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy) 08/07/1980 140 65

Shane Long (Southampton) 22/01/1987 54 12

Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town) 15/03/1983 16 0

Jon Walters (Stoke City) 20/09/1983 33 6

Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids) 18/09/1983 61 14

Anthony Stokes (Celtic FC) 25/07/1988 9 0

David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town) 29/11/1987 2 0

Adam Rooney (Aberdeen) 21/04/1988 0 0

Simon Cox (Reading) 28/04/1987 30 4

ENDS

A big crowd gathered in Pat Kennedy Park to see local girl Savannah McCarthy lead out the team.

And it could have started so brightly for the Irish girls but a Dearbhaile Beirne header came back off the crossbar.

Scotland took over for the middle part of the half and Erin Cuthbert in fine form pulling the stings in midfield both Abigail Harrison and Rachel McLauchlan went close.

The goal from Savannah that the crowd wanted almost came when she headed over from a Jamie Finn corner.

The breakthrough came in the 30th minute.  Keeva Keenan, who had a great game, was fouled but referee Owen Moynihan played an excellent advantage and Keenan's pass found Zoe McGlynn who played in Beirne.

She cut in past the defender and placed a low ball to the corner of the net.

It remained that way until the 54th minute when Scotland equalised. McLauchlan and Harrison combined to play in Kirsty Hansen, who flashed her shot past Amanda McQuillan.

The Irish keeper was injured in a clash just before this and was replaced by Nadine Maher but it was her counterpart in the Scottish goal who would have the bigger influence on the game.

Rebecca Flaherty denied McCarthy, and the big Kerry crowd, the goal she craved with a full length dive in the 85th to tip the ball over.

Flaherty then denied Evelyn Daly the goal her display deserved by guessing right when Daly was in one on one with her.

Both managers left happy with the performance of their respective teams. The sides meet again on Thursday at Tulla United AFC in Co Clare (11.00am).
 

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Amanda McQuillan, Fiona Donnelly, Nicole Gordon, Chloe Moloney, Savannah McCarthy, Evelyn Daly, Zoe McGlynn, Jamie Finn, Niamh Nelson, Dearbhaile Beirne, Keeva Keenan. Subs: Nadine Maher for McQuillan 54th min; Sarah Jane McDonald for Beirne 60; Lucy McCartan for Gordon 67; Emma Byrne for Nelson 78.

SCOTLAND: Rebecca Flaherty, Sarah Clelland, Cassie Cowper, Cailin Michie, Georgie Rafferty, Hayley Sinclair, Rachel McLauchlan, Erin Cuthbert, Kirsty Hansen, Abagail Harrison, Amy Gallagher. Subs: Courtney Whyte for Gallagher 45; Lia Tweedie for Hanson 63; Carla Boyce for Clelland 80; Chelsea Comet for Sinclair 88.

U16s Head Coach Tom O'Connor will lead the Irish squad into the tournament which includes fixtures against Northern Ireland, Millwall, Chesterfield and the FAI Castlebar squad.

"We are looking forward to playing a variety of different styles and it'll help consolidate the team before the start of the new season," said O'Connor.

"We're looking forward to playing Northern Ireland who will be similar to ourselves. They're training three days a week and we expect them to be very well organised.

"Having said that, the Northern Ireland fixture will just be a game in the series of games. The other teams will all represent their own challenge for the players."

Although the Mayo International Cup is a development opportunity for the Irish side, O'Connor fills there are many elements required of the players this week which they can learn from as they progress on the international ladder.

"This tournament replicates something similar to what they'll experience at international level. They will be involved in the different things that are elements of being in an international squad, such as travelling, staying in hotels, eating the right things, resting, attending team meetings and all the other experiences that goes with representing your country," he added.

"We feel that the four games they'll play over the three days will be beneficial for them. It's all about the players at this level.

"A number of the players involved have progressed from the Emerging Talent Programme to the SSE Airtricity U17 National League so I would imagine that there will be clubs watching these players this week that will hope to give them the opportunity to step up to that level in the future."

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND DEVELOPMENT SQUAD:

Patryk Osinski (Mallow)

Kevin Healy (Belvedere FC)

Cian Lee (Belvedere FC)

Jordan Doherty (Home Farm)

Gavin Kilkenny (St Kevin's Boys)

Luke Nolan (St Patrick's Athletic)

Charlie Barry (St Francis)

Thomas Caffrey (St Francis)

Cian Hughes (St Francis)

Aaron Bolger (St Joseph's Boys)

Tom Murphy (St Joseph's Boys)

Dominic Peppard (St Joseph's Boys)

Aaron Connolly (Mervue Utd)

Mark Kelly (St Patrick's Athletic)

Yassine En-Neyah (Bohemians)

Cian Murphy (Cork City)

Darryl Walsh (Waterford United)

Lee O'Connor (Villa FC, Waterford)

TOURNAMENT FIXTURES

Venue: Milebush Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

Friday, August 21

Millwall FC v FAI Castlebar (4.00pm)

Chesterfield FC v Republic of Ireland (5.30pm)

FAI Castlebar v Northern Ireland (7.15pm)

Saturday, August 22

Northern Ireland v Millwall FC (10.00am)

Republic of Ireland v FAI Castlebar (11.30am)

Northern Ireland v Chesterfield FC (1.30pm)

Millwall FC v Republic of Ireland (3.00pm)

Chesterfield FC v FAI Castlebar (4.30pm)

Sunday, August 23

Millwall v Chesterfield FC (12.00pm)

Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland (12.30pm)

Cork native Tully, 54,  was a former chairman of the Cork Branch of the Irish Soccer Referees Society and was on the SSE Airtricity League panel of Elite referees up to a decade ago.

Amongst the highlights of Tom's refereeing career was being appointed fourth official at the 1999 FAI Cup final between Bray Wanderers and Finn Harps while he also officiated at an FAI Intermediate Cup Final.

"I was shocked to hear of Tom's sad passing. He was a great football man and a great character. He was an excellent referee and will be sadly missed," said FAI CEO John Delaney.

He is survived by his wife Anne and three children, David, Theresa and Thomas, parents Paddy and Noreen, brothers Joseph, Tony and Stephen and sister Patricia.

"Tom was an extremely popular referee. He was well liked by all involved in the game both locally and nationally and will be a huge loss to the refereeing community in Cork," said John Ward, FAI Referee National Co-Ordinator.

"He was a great guy and a lovely man. We’ve lost one of the good ones. He extend our deepest sympathies to wife Anne, his children and the rest of his family."

Funeral Arrangements

Reposing at Sullivan’s Funeral Home, Turners Cross. Removal Thursday (20th) at 6.30pm to Church of the Real Presence, Curraheen Road. Requiem Mass Friday (21st) at 12 noon. Funeral afterwards to St James’ Cemetery, Chetwynd.

After drawing 1-1 with Scotland in Listowel on Tuesday evening, Connell's side are now hosting the same opposition but in Tulla United AFC, Co Clare at 11am.

The two friendly games are being used as preparation for the First Phase qualifiers in Slovenia next month, where Ireland have high hopes of reaching next summer's finals.

Connell feels that this current group of players have an abundance of quality and he has challenged them to prove that on Thursday in what is an important game. 

"I was very pleased with our first game against Scotland. It was the first outing for a lot of girls with this squad and it was a great opportunity for them to stake a claim to make it to Slovenia," said Connell.

"It's going to be a tough squad to get into and I'm going to have a difficult time selecting just 18 players. But these games give me plenty of food for thought and the girls performed brilliantly in the first game.

"We haven't been together too long, but these games are a great opportunity for the girls and we're looking forward to the second game in Tulla as we keep our preparations for Slovenia moving forward."

Connell is unlikely to risk UCD Waves striker Eleanor Ryan Doyle following a slight injury, but he gave several players their U19 debuts last Tuesday and is keen to see them in action again.

FIXTURE
Republic of Ireland WU19 v Scotland, Tulla United AFC, Co Clare (KO 11am)

Lyons was well known for his 98FM radio show Now That’s What I Call Sport on Sunday mornings and had a regular call show slot on Premier League Live on Today FM.

The Dubliner was also well known at many Ireland internationals both home and abroad over the years and recently did a number of supporter activities for the FAI and Aviva Stadium around international fixtures.

FAI CEO John Delaney expressed his sadness at the news of Lyons’s sudden passing.

“Johnny Lyons was a great football man who really understood the game. I enjoyed being interviewed by him because he was so passionate and I want to extend our sympathy to his family and friends,” said Delaney.

“We will be doing a tribute to him at next month's match against Georgia.”