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John Delaney, FAI Chief Executive Officer
March 2017
In the final activity of their international season the Irish side will meet the Norwegians on Tuesday afternoon then face the Czech Republic on Thursday. The Czechs beat Norway 4-3 in the opening game of the competition on Sunday.
Ireland Head Coach Jason Donohue has been more than pleased with how his side is shaping up as they head into the Norwegian encounter.
"Everything has gone according to plan. Travel and accommodation has been good and training has gone really well so I couldn't be happier," said the Irish coach.
"We've had a great response in training. The players watched the Czechs beat Norway 4-3 yesterday and the players did the analysis today and we worked on what they identified from the analysis in our training session.
"Norway were quite direct in a 4-4-2 shape so that's something different for the players to get used to as most of the teams they've played in international football before built out from the back.
"I think it'll be tight enough. From what I can see there's nothing between the three teams here. I've been happy with how the players have mixed, the new lads have gelled with the rest of the squad and our training has been excellent so we're just looking forward to the game now."
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U15 SQUAD:
Matthew Everitt (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Jimmy Corcoran (Cherry Orchard)
Ronan McKinley (Finn Harps)
Josh Guirgi (Leixlip Utd)
Jack Funge (St Kevin’s Boys)
James Furlong (St Joseph's Boys)
Armstrong Okoflex (Arsenal)
Gavin Bazunu (Shamrock Rovers)
Brandon Holt (Belvedere)
Cian Kelly (St Joseph's Boys)
Sean Kennedy (Tralee Dynamos)
Seamus Keogh (Sligo Rovers)
Karl O'Callaghan (St Kevin’s Boys)
Matthew Healy (College Corinthians)
Sean McEvoy (St Kevin’s Boys)
Troy Parrott (Belvedere)
Timi Sobowale (Villa FC)
Alex Dunne (Belvedere)
FIXTURES
U15 Invitational Tournament
Tuesday, April 18
Republic of Ireland v Norway, Artima, Prague (2.00pm Irish)
Thursday, April 20
Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland, Brozany nad Ohří (3.30pm Irish)
See link below for ease of reference...
http://www.uefa.org/MultimediaFiles/Download/Tech/uefaorg/General/02/42/27/91/2422791_DOWNLOAD.pdf
Jason Donohue’s side bagged four first-half goals to take control of the tie and will go into Thursday’s deciding game against the Czech Republic hosts, who beat the Norwegians 4-3 last Sunday.
Seamus Keogh had Ireland’s first attempt on goal in the 10th minute but it was not long before Ireland went 1-0 up through Sean Kennedy when he found the net with a low strike in the 13th minute.
Keogh had a header saved two minutes later before Kennedy shot narrowly wide in the 18th minute. Norway had an attempt on goal in the 20th minute when Lars Christian Moudestad had a shot from distance held by Ireland keeper Jimmy Corcoran.
Kennedy added a second in the 25th minute when he was played through by Matthew Everitt and poked past the advancing keeper.
Ronan McKinley increased the Irish lead in the 36th minute when he dispossessed keeper Vegard Storsve and turned the ball home into an empty net.
Three minutes later Everitt marked his debut with a goal after McKinley’s initial effort came back off the Norwegian crossbar.
Everitt had another effort saved five minutes into the second half then Irish keeper Corcoran had a couple of stops before Simon Bakken grabbed a consolation goal with a low strike in the last minute.
"Our first half performance was exceptionally good. We played really well and scored at good times. We had a good defensive shape and scored some good goals," said Ireland Head Coach Jason Donohue.
"The Norwegian coach couldn't believe how well we played and said it was like men against boys at times in the first half which is a great compliment to the players.
"In the second half, they pressed us really well and forced us to go a bit longer. We conceded in injury time and it shows the character of the lads how disappointed they were to concede that goal.
"We looked a threat every time we went forward in the first half. Matt Everitt had an exceptional debut. Sean Kennedy and Ronan McKinley also produced some excellent moments.
"I’m extremely pleased for the boys to get a win after a couple of draws. They have been improving and the hard work is paying off.
"They looked a really good team today and now it'll be a different test against the Czechs who'll have had four days rest by the time Thursday game comes around."
Republic of Ireland: Corcoran; Dunne (O’Callaghan 71), Sobowale, Funge, Holt; Healy (McEvoy 62), Keogh, McKinley (Parrott 62); Kennedy (Guirgi 71), Everitt (Furlong 65), Okoflex.
RESULTS & FIXTURES
U15 Invitational Tournament
Tuesday, April 18: Republic of Ireland 4-1 Norway, Artima, Prague
Thursday, April 20: Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland, Brozany nad Ohří (KO 15.30)
Crawford's team will be participating in an eight-team tournament and have been grouped with Czech Republic, Russia and Turkey with a classification game also involved.
Ireland U19 boss Tom Mohan used several players still eligible for the U18s in the UEFA U19 European Championship Elite Qualifying Round last month but Crawford was not in a position to call up the majority of those players for this tournament.
Nevertheless, the Irish coach is confident that the squad which travels to Slovakia can give a good account of themselves and show that they can be options for Mohan at U19 level next season.
"I see this as a tournament that will give an opportunity to those players who haven’t been involved before to show myself and Tom Mohan where they’re at presently," said Crawford.
"It's unfortunate that we couldn't bring the likes of Declan Rice, Canice Carroll, Jayson Molumby and Tyreke Wilson who were involved at the U19 Elite but it's also a great satisfaction for them to have progressed to that level.
"I was also considering maybe promoting some of the U17s but its great for them and Colin O’Brien that they've qualifed for the EURO finals so we can have no complaints about not having access to those players.
"Having said that, this is a great chance for the likes of Shola Ayoola, Michael Obafemi, Callum Nicell and Callum Mollett to play for Ireland and make an impression upon Tom Mohan, who will be at the tournament also.
"It is also pleasing that we've a few more home-based players involved including Alec Byrne, Dean Dillon, James McSweeney and Jack Keaney who’ve been playing very well at their clubs recently to represent themselves, their clubs and the league at this tournament."
Given the tight timeframe that the tournament will be taking place in and the demanding level of their opponents, Crawford feels that the players will get a strong opportunity to make an impression.
"We’ll see if these players are up to international level but it’s also an opportunity for themselves as players to learn a lot and use this as a barometer of where they’re at," added Crawford.
"Then they should see if they can bring that back to their clubs and make further progres as a player and help their overall development.
"The quality of the opposition will be very high. We’ve done our research on them and we know that the Czech Republic, Russia and Turkey are all excellent sides at this age group."
The Ireland U18s drew 0-0 with the Netherlands and lost 3-2 to Germany in a cracking game last November so Crawford is looking for a progression from the squad in the forthcoming tournament.
"You’re always looking to step on with the performances and what you’ve learned from the previous trip when we did some good things when playing the likes of Netherlands and Germany," said Crawford.
"What was more rewarding was Dan McKenna, Mark Travers, Stephen Mallon and Canice Carroll all got the opportunity to then earn promotion to the U19s as Tom Mohan had watched them over there.
"We will be looking for the players to make a similar impression upon him this time around and earn a slot for his squad in the next games for the U19s."
Republic of Ireland U18 Squad
Goalkeepers: Mark Travers (Bournemouth), Edward McGinty (Sligo Rovers)
Defenders: Alec Byrne (Cork City), Aaron O’Driscoll (Southampton), Warren O’Hora (Bohemians), James McSweeney (Cobh Ramblers), Rian O’Sullivan (Brighton & Hove Albion), Callum Mollett (Walsall)
Midfielders: Anthony Scully (West Ham United), Dan McKenna (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Jack Keaney (Sligo Rovers), Callum Nicell (Leeds United), Stephen Mallon (Sheffield United)
Forwards: Aidan Keena (St Patrick's Athletic), Kian Flanagan (Crystal Palace), Dean Dillon (Shamrock Rovers), Michael Obafemi (Southampton), Thomas Byrne (Drogheda United), Shola Ayoola (Stoke City)
FIXTURES
Monday, April 24: Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland, Modranka (KO 14:00)
Tuesday, April 25: Republic of Ireland v Russia, Dunajska Luzna (KO 10:00)
Thursday, April 27: Republic of Ireland v Turkey, Dunajska Luzna (KO 10:00)
Friday, April 28: Classification match, TBC
Jason Donohue’s side beat Norway 4-1 on Tuesday while the Czechs won 4-3 against the Norwegians. The Irish youngsters will be looking to end their campaign with two wins on the bounce.
This age group have a long term plan in mind as they will be eligible to represent Ireland when we host the UEFA U17 Championships Finals in 2019.
“Troy Parrott was ill for the first game but he’s recovered well and it looks like he’ll be ok. We’ve also a couple of slight knocks that we’re giving treatment to,” explained Ireland Head Coach Donohue.
“From our analysis of their first game against Norway, the Czechs are a very open side and leave a lot of space at the back. We’ll change things a little and play a bit more like we did against the Netherlands.
“The kids are well used to playing against that type of opponent from our games against the Dutch and Poland earlier in the season and that’s the advantage of a tournament like this as it exposes the players to different styles of play.
“We felt going into our Norway game that we’d prepared really well and the training was very good. The win has put a pep in the step of the players and they’ve been really interactive in their individual analysis which is a great sign.
“Everybody who didn’t start the first day will play tomorrow once they’re 100 per cent fit so we’ll make a decision on the team in the morning after we’ve checked everybody’s fitness.
“It’s all about development so we want to get as many players into the games as possible.”
RESULTS & FIXTURES
U15 Invitational Tournament
Tuesday, April 18: Republic of Ireland 4-1 Norway, Artima, Prague
Thursday, April 20: Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland, Brozany nad Ohří (KO 15.30)
Jason Donohue’s side beat Norway 4-1 in their opening game in the triangular tournament on Tuesday and the extra couple of days rest showed for the hosts as they got off to a lightening start.
Irish keeper Bazunu was tested in the third minute from a shot from distance but in the tenth minute the Czechs took the lead when Pavel Hural headed home after an initial effort hit the Irish crossbar.
Troy Parrott was unlucky not to head Ireland level just 60 seconds later after a testing cross from Josh Guirgi.
The home side went 2-0 up in the 13th minute when Javier Neruda slipped the ball home after good work by Vojtech Wojatskche in the build-up.
Ireland responded well when Cian Kelly turned the ball past keeper Ondrej Mastny after Parrott hit the Czech post with a free-kick.
Parrott then levelled the scores from the penalty spot in the 27th minute after he was fouled for the spot-kick.
In the 32nd minute Ireland were desperately unlucky not to take the lead when Parrott went on a great run and sent in a cross that Ronan McKinley just failed to connect with.
Two minutes later Armstrong Okoflex was unfortunate to shoot narrowly wide then Guirgi and Parrott were both denied by the Czech keeper before the break.
Unfortunately for the Irish they went behind once more two minutes into the second half when Timofej Barkof headed home and it was 4-2 six minutes later when Filip Gedeon found the net.
“We started off looking very leggy and found ourselves 2-0 down quickly. We knew the Czechs were a threat going forward as they have scored 14 goals in their last three games,” said Donohue.
“We adjusted our game plan midway the first half and dominated to get back to 2-2 and missed chances to go ahead. Unfortunately two errors early in the second half left us chasing the game again but the Czechs were able to hold out.
“With the Czech playing Sunday they had two extra recovery days which proved to be a major factor.
“But our group has progressed well all season and with this as our last event and this week included four new debuts and all players started a game each means Paul Osam has plenty of options for next season.
“Can I finish by thanking all the players, staff, the players’ clubs and leagues for their efforts and assistance throughout the year as I feel it has been a very positive experience for all parties.”
Republic of Ireland: Bazunu; Furlong (Holt 41), Kelly, Sobowale, McEvoy (Funge 71); Parrott, McKinley (Healy 61), Okoflex (Kennedy 41), Keogh, O’Callaghan (Dunne 41), Guirgi.
RESULTS
U15 Invitational Tournament
Tuesday, April 18: Republic of Ireland 4-1 Norway, Artima, Prague
Thursday, April 20: Czech Republic 2-4 Republic of Ireland, Brozany nad Ohří
The Irish squad has been stretched by injuries, illness and club commitments but Crawford believes some of the players he has in Slovakia this week can emulate the likes of Alan Browne and Ryan Manning by progressing up the football ladder.
“Alan Browne and Ryan Manning were two players that were on the fringes of the international scene when they were first capped with the U18s a couple of seasons ago and they’ve made great progress since,” said Crawford.
“Playing at international level and being challenged was a real springboard for them in their personal development and their careers. You’d like to think that there may be another Alan Browne or Ryan Manning in this group.
“We’ll know well by the end of the week how far along the players are in their development. When you are playing the likes of Czech Republic, Russia and Turkey that is serious opposition with serious numbers of players to choose from.”
The difficulty in assembling his squad has been a challenge to Crawford but he believes they can make an impact this week as they open their campaign against Czech Republic in Modranka (2:00pm Irish).
“It’s been difficult enough assembling a squad with players getting injured and not being released but we’re happy with the players that we have here,” He said.
“They’ve performed well with their clubs whether it’s been in the SSE Airtricity League or with UK clubs. They are all still getting to know each other but they’ve settled in well.
“Some of them are still learning in regards to how we set up and it’s going to be an interesting week for the players, the staff and also Tom Mohan who is coming over to observe the games and is preparing for next season’s U19 level.
“The players have all worked very hard and will face a huge volume of games in a short period of time so everybody will play and despite being an inexperienced squad they’ve done well up to now.
“I’ve watched five or six games from this Czech side. They have exceptionally good players particularly on the counter attack and commit players to attack but we’ve got a game plan for them.
“It’s going to be a difficult game no matter how well you prepare because of the quality of the opposition but if the lads can produce similar performances to how they did against Netherlands and Germany in November we should be ok.”
Republic of Ireland U18 Squad
Goalkeepers: Mark Travers (Bournemouth), Edward McGinty (Sligo Rovers)
Defenders: Alec Byrne (Cork City), Aaron O’Driscoll (Southampton), Warren O’Hora (Bohemians), James McSweeney (Cobh Ramblers), Rian O’Sullivan (Brighton & Hove Albion), Callum Mollett (Walsall)
Midfielders: Anthony Scully (West Ham United), Dan McKenna (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Jack Keaney (Sligo Rovers), Callum Nicell (Leeds United), Kian Flanagan (Crystal Palace), John Martin (Waterford)
Forwards: Aidan Keena (St Patrick's Athletic), Dean Dillon (Shamrock Rovers), Neil Byrne (St Patrick’s Athletic), Thomas Byrne (Drogheda United), Shola Ayoola (Stoke City), Josh Hogan (St Patrick’s Athletic)
FIXTURES
Monday, April 24: Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland, Modranka (KO 14:00)
Tuesday, April 25: Republic of Ireland v Russia, Dunajska Luzna (KO 10:00)
Thursday, April 27: Republic of Ireland v Turkey, Dunajska Luzna (KO 10:00)
Friday, April 28: Classification match, TBC
Jim Crawford's side produced some decent patches of play but were ultimately undone by sloppy defending in the first half in particular.
The Czechs opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Christian Frydek burst through from midfield and fired in a thumping strike from just outside the box.
Ireland were unlucky not to level within two minutes when St Patrick's Athletic winger Josh Hogan cut in from the left and fired goalwards. His strike was tipped over by keeper Petr Mikulec.
The Irish did level in the 22nd minute when a deep Thomas Byrne corner was nodded down by Aaron O'Driscoll and Bohemians defender Warren O'Hora spun cleverly to finish to the bottom corner.
Unfortunately the Irish defence was caught napping as the Czechs regained the lead within 60 seconds. A break down the left ended with Frydek firing past Mark Travers when the ball was cut back to him in the penalty area.
Czech captain Antonin Rusek made it 3-1 in the 38th minute when he headed to the net from a well hit corner but it was an avoidable goal which frustrated Irish coach Jim Crawford.
Anthony Scully was unlucky not to pull one back two minutes into the second half when he linked well with Kian Flanagan before producing an excellent strike that thumped off the Czech crossbar.
Five minutes later Shamrock Rovers striker Dean Dillon had a header saved from a cross by the impressive Flanagan. Despite a strong second half display the Irish could not breach the Czech defence again and now turn their attention to tomorrow morning's meeting with Russia. The Russians beat Turkey 5-0 in the other game in Group A.
"Overall the performance had a lot of positives but unfortunately we conceded some sloppy goals and that's an area we will be aiming to improve upon as the tournament progresses," said Irish Head Coach Jim Crawford.
"Some of our attacking play was pleasing and, for many of the players, they are still getting to know what this level is all about so this experience will be invaluable.
"The Under 19 coach Tom Mohan was in attendance today and the players know that they are playing to make an impression upon him for next season. Performances in games such as this can only help their cause."
Republic of Ireland: Travers; McKenna (A Byrne 41), O'Hora, O'Driscoll (McSweeney 67), O'Sullivan (Mollett 41); Keaney, Nicell, Flanagan, Keena (N Byrne 41); T Byrne (Dillon 41), Hogan (Scully 41).
RESULTS & FIXTURES
Monday, April 24: Czech Republic 3-1 Republic of Ireland, Modranka
Tuesday, April 25: Republic of Ireland v Russia, Dunajska Luzna (KO 10:00)
Thursday, April 27: Republic of Ireland v Turkey, Dunajska Luzna (KO 10:00)
Friday, April 28: Classification match, TBC
Jim Crawford’s side were unfortunate not to snatch a winner with four minutes left when Kian Flanagan carved open an opportunity for himself to fire in a shot that rattled the Russian crossbar.
Russia beat Turkey 5-0 in their opening game on Monday while the Irish were beaten 3-1 by Czech Republic.
The first half was a tight affair with a header from Shola Ayoola heading narrowly wide in the 12th minute the closest Ireland came to finding the net before the break.
Russia struck the base of Ireland’s left upright in the 27th minute when Maksim Glushenkov cut in from the right before firing at goal with his left foot.
Russia’s Danil Utkin fired wide with a low strike from outside the box in the 31st minute then the Russians should have scored six minutes later when Ivan Ignatev dragged his shot across the face of the Irish goal.
Ireland’s defensive unit was impressive throughout with central defenders Warren O’Hora of Bohemians and Cobh Ramblers’ James McSweeney standing out.
Russia had a decent opportunity in the 62nd minute when Ignatev burst through on goal but his poked effort was over the Irish bar.
Dan McKenna was denied by Russian keeper Matvey Safanov three minutes later after Rian O’Sullivan played the ball back in following a half-cleared Irish corner.
The Russians had defender Roman Evgenyev red carded in the 68th minute after a poor challenge on Waterford midfielder John Martin and the Irish really looked to push home the advantage.
Brilliant play by Kian Flanagan would have produced a tap-in goal for Martin in the 76th minute but for the intervention of goalkeeper Safonov.
Two minutes later Vyascheslav Grulev almost grabbed a Russian winner when he cut in from the left and produced a powerful strike that Irish keeper Mark Travers did well to tip over.
Flanagan was denied the winner when he rattled the crossbar after an excellent break led by Thomas Byrne.
Ireland face Turkey in their final group game on Thursday then play a classification game on Friday which will depend on where they finish in their group.
“Overall I felt it was an excellent display from our lads. It wasn’t easy to perform in that heat against a very good Russian side but our lads defended excellently and in the second half were very unlucky not to score,” said Crawford.
“The concentration and commitment from everybody defensively was top class and I was pleased at the break but we asked a bit more of them in the second half and were very unlucky not to grab a winner at the end.
“These games are a fantastic test for these players and it was very pleasing that so many home-based players could produce a performance of that level against a really top class international side like Russia.”
Republic of Ireland: Travers; A Byrne, Mollett (Keaney 65), O’Hora (O’Driscoll 65), McSweeney, McKenna, Martin, Scully (Flanagan 60), N Byrne (T Byrne 65), Ayoola (Dillon 50), O’Sullivan.
RESULTS & FIXTURES
Monday, April 24: Czech Republic 3-1 Republic of Ireland, Modranka
Tuesday, April 25: Republic of Ireland 0-0 Russia, Dunajska Luzna
Thursday, April 27: Republic of Ireland v Turkey, Dunajska Luzna (KO 10:00)
Friday, April 28: Classification match, TBC
Colin Bell's side will face Norway, Netherlands, Slovakia and Northern Ireland in Group Three with the campaign set to start with a trip to Northern Ireland on Tuesday, September 19th.
Top seed Norway will feature at this summer's UEFA Women's European Championships in the Netherlands and were unbeaten throughout their qualification campaign, having won seven and drawn one of their group games.
Netherlands will also feature at the Championships as the home nation and they also qualified for the FIFA 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada where they reached the last 16 stage of the competition.
Ireland recently claimed a 1-0 victory over Slovakia at Tallaght Stadium in an international friendly and Ireland last played Northern Ireland in the Cyprus Cup in 2013 where Ireland claimed a 5-1 win.
WNT Head Coach Colin Bell said: "Obviously, the draw is something you can't influence but looking at it, it's good for us logistically. There will be a bit of travelling with Slovakia but with the other nations, they're all pretty close which is great.
"I know Norway well having worked over there before and they've plenty of top players throughout the squad. Ada Hegerberg is one of the best strikers in the world and they've got plenty of quality on the wings as well.
"Netherlands have really come on in the last year or so and have a number of players who will be able to create problems for any team in the world so we're under no illusions that it will be tough.
"It will be a great occasion to play Northern Ireland and it will create a great atmosphere when we play them at home and away so I'm really looking forward to it. We've recently played Slovakia and they had a few players missing so they'll also present us with a tough task.
"It'll all be in our preparation though and we've got to use the next friendly games to continue our good form to make sure we're in the strongest possible position going into the qualifying stage."
Republic of Ireland WNT Fixture Schedule - FIFA 2019 Women's World Cup Qualifying
19 September, 2017: Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland
24 October, 2017: Slovakia v Republic of Ireland
28 November, 2017: Netherlands v Republic of Ireland
6 April, 2018: Republic of Ireland v Slovakia
10 April, 2018: Republic of Ireland v Netherlands
8 June, 2018: Republic of Ireland v Norway
12 June, 2018: Norway v Republic of Ireland
31 August, 2018: Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland
*Venues and kick-off times to be confirmed
The squad are set to fly out to the competition on Thursday as they face England, Netherlands and Norway in Group B, with the eight best teams in Europe competing in the finals competition.
The WU17s progressed through a difficult Elite Round stage to reach the finals competition. After beating Serbia and drawing against Scotland, Heather Payne's free-kick secured a 1-0 win over Hungary to book the squad's tickets to the Czech Republic.
The Continental Tyres Women's National League is well represented with the likes of Galway WFC defender Sadhbh Doyle, Shelbourne Ladies' Tiegan Ruddy and Peamount United's Heather Payne all in the finals squad.
Evergreen's Carla McManus, who scored five goals in the qualifying campaign, is in the squad and there are also call-ups for Chelsea Ladies midfielder Megan Mackey and West Bromwich Albion's Phoebe Warner.
Head Coach Dave Bell said: "We're really looking forward to showing what we can do in the Czech Republic. The girls have worked so hard to get to this stage and fully deserve to be playing against the best in Europe.
"It is going to be difficult, we're under no illusions but this group have shown tremendous character where they have needed to get results and we came through a difficult Elite Round against Hungary, Serbia and Scotland to be here.
"We've got a lot of players who are already playing at National League level and Tiegan (Ruddy) has already played for the senior team so there is some really good experience throughout the whole squad.
"This is going to be a great experience for the players but we're fully focused on representing this country and fully focused on getting a result in that first game against England."
Republic of Ireland WU17 Squad
Goalkeepers: Erica Turner (UCD Waves), Rachael Kelly (Shelbourne LFC)
Defenders: Isibeal Atkinson (Enniskerry), Doireann Fahey (Peamount United), Sadhbh Doyle (Galway WFC), Eabha O'Mahony (Lakewood), Roisin McGovern (Enniskerry), Lauryn Grier (Kentstown Rovers)
Midfielders: Tyler Toland (Maiden City), Megan Mackey (Chelsea LFC), Tiegan Ruddy (Shelbourne LFC), Aisling Spillane (Peamount United), Orla Casey (Evergreen), Jessica Ziu (Shelbourne LFC), Phoebe Warner (West Bromwich Albion)
Forwards: Alannah McEvoy (Enniskerry), Carla McManus (Peamount United), Heather Payne (Peamount United)
Republic of Ireland WU17s tournament fixture schedule
2 May, 2017: Republic of Ireland v England, KO 11.00, Na Litavce, Pribram (CZE)
5 May, 2017: Republic of Ireland v Norway, KO 11.00, Doosan Arena, Plzen (CZE)
8 May 2017 - Netherlands v Republic of Ireland, KO 14.00, Domazlice Stadium, Domazlice (CZE)
CAPTION: Republic of Ireland's, from left, Tiegan Ruddy, Heather Payne and Sadhbh Doyle pose for a feature before squad training at Abbotstown in Dublin.
Waterford started the game the better of the two sides in what was a cagey first half. Danny Reynolds tested the Limerick goalkeeper James Regan Magner from distance in a first half that produced few chances.
Limerick almost scored when Eoin Coffey sent a long through ball to Conor Coughlan who ran towards goal before firing a shot that came crashing off the Waterford post. Shane Donnegan couldn’t capitalise from the rebound because of an excellent tackle and clearance from Tommy McGrath.
McGrath was on hand to give Waterford a deserved lead early in the second half. A corner delivered in to the box was seemingly going to be cleared out of play, but Niall O’ Keefe managed to send it back into the danger area where McGrath nodded home from close range.
Waterford kept pressing, and soon got a second after some great interplay between Eoghan McGrath-Butler, Ben Breslin and Danny Ogundele ended with McGrath-Butler sending a low cross to Darragh Wall who swivelled a defender and finished into the bottom corner.
Limerick pushed on in search of a comeback, with substitute Cian McNicholas forcing a save from Waterford keeper Shane Burke before Shane Donnegan failed to capitalise on a clear-cut chance with ten minutes left to play.
Martin Sugrue’s side did claw one back after they were awarded a penalty by referee Gerard O’ Connor in the 85th minute. Goal scorer McGrath took down Conor Coughlan in the box to hand Limerick a lifeline. Coughlan stepped up and took the penalty himself, sending the keeper the wrong to set up a nervy final few minutes for Waterford.
In the dying moments of the game Anthony Brown’s men sealed their victory. Niall O’ Keeffe finished sublimely with a chip over the keeper into the top left hand corner to ensure it was Waterford who emerged victorious.
Waterford captain Luke Walsh: “We weren’t happy with our first half performance again today so at half time going into the dressing room, we knew that there was going to be words had and in fairness our manager did get onto us but it’s his words that gave us that lift in the second half.”
Limerick & District League: James Regan Magner, Eoin Coffey, Dylan O’ Neill, Jason Cross, Jack Dunne, Colm Barret, Shane Donnegan, Dylan Sheehan, Conor Coughlan, Stephen Coughlan, Killian Maloney.
Waterford & District Association Football League: Shane Burke, Eoghan McGrath-Butler, Danny Reynolds, Tommy McGrath, Desmond Ulamen, Ben Breslin, Luke Walsh, Niall O’ Keeffe, Darragh Wall, Danny Ogundele, David Walsh.
Referee: Gerard O’Connor.
Second-half goals by Cobh Ramblers defender James McSweeney and Stoke City striker Shola Ayoola secured second spot in the group for the Irish and sets up a third-place play-off with hosts Slovakia on Friday.
Turkey grabbed the opening goal after just 32 seconds when Muhayer Oktay fired to the bottom corner after some hestitant Irish defending was punished dramatically.
Despite that sloppy start to the first half Jim Crawford’s team soon settled down and held firm as the Turks pressed to add to their early advantage.
Ireland had a half-chance to level in the 34th minute when Aaron O’Driscoll got his head to a deep corner by Kian Flanagan but defender Recep Yemisci got a head on his effort to deflect it to safety.
In the 39th minute good link-up play saw Shamrock Rovers striker Dean Dillon feed St Patrick’s Athletic’s Aidan Keena on the right and his low cross was just too firmly struck for Dillon to get on the end of it.
Ireland levelled in the 48th minute when Anthony Scully took a quick corner to Kian Flanagan and he curled the ball in for the on-coming James McSweeney to arrive on cue to head brilliantly to the bottom corner.
Ayoola made a powerful run down the right in the 68th minute that was unfortunate not to produce more as keeper Memhet Ataberk saved bravely at his feet.
Drogheda United striker Thomas Byrne had a powerful strike save in the 73rd minute as play opened up in the final part of the game.
Turkey had a chance to snatch the win in the 80th minute when captain Abdulkadir Omur fired over from the edge of the box.
Instead it was Ayoola who grabbed the winner as he was in the right place to turn home brilliantly from an excellent right wing cross by Cork City’s Alec Byrne two minutes into injury-time in the game, which was played over 80 minutes.
"I was delighted with the character we displayed. To go a goal down in the opening seconds was a real blow but the lads showed real courage to settle things down and get back in the game," said Crawford.
"We had to defend resolutely for a long time but then we got in at the break just a goal down and we were really pleased with how the lads came out for the second half, scored an early equaliser then stood up to grab a late winning goal.
"These players hardly knew each other before this week together and some were still only joining up with the squad from their clubs after the first couple of days so it was a real test from day one and we’ve seen them grow as a team."
Republic of Ireland: McGinty; McKenna (T Byrne 41), Mollett, O’Driscoll, McSweeney (O’Hora 61); Nicell (A Byrne 41), Martin (Ayoola 68), Flanagan, Keena, Dillon (Scully 41), O’Sullivan (Keaney 41).
RESULTS & FIXTURES
Monday, April 24: Czech Republic 3-1 Republic of Ireland, Modranka
Tuesday, April 25: Republic of Ireland 0-0 Russia, Dunajska Luzna
Thursday, April 27: Republic of Ireland 2-1 Turkey, Dunajska Luzna
Friday, April 28: 3rd-4th play-off: Slovakia v Republic of Ireland, Jaslovske Bohunice (KO 10:00)
A goal in either half sealed the win for the Slovaks, who in truth had the lion’s share of the possession. After a testing four games in five days it was not surprising that both sides showed signs of fatigue at times.
Slovakia went ahead in the 29th minute when Martin Vician headed to the net from close range from a well delivered corner.
Irish keeper Mark Travers made a number of impressive stops to keep his side in the game but Slovakia extended their lead in the 73rd minute when Lazio winger Denis Petro scored at the back post from a flicked on corner.
The visitors were down to ten men at this stage as Drogheda United striker Thomas Byrne was dismissed for two cautionable offences.
Shola Ayoola had Ireland’s only serious strike on goal midway through the first half but his effort flew over the Slovak crossbar while an Anthony Scully chip in the 33rd minute was well held by keeper Dominik Takac.
Irish head coach Jim Crawford was extremely pleased with the effort his side had displayed this week in difficult circumstances due to the unavailability of a number of squad members.
“I can only be proud of the performances the players put in this week. They were a credit to themselves, their clubs and their country. It’s been a demanding week for them but they met the challenge head on,” said Crawford.
“To beat a top class side like Turkey to finish second in our group and ultimately make the top four in this tournament is an excellent achievement by all concerned with the performances this week.
“The players have shown talent, work-rate and character and considering that Russia won the grouo by scoring nine goals in their other two games it puts our 0-0 draw with them firmly into perspective.
“I would especially like to mention how well the home-based players did this week. They performed so well and did their clubs proud and they now know what the next level is for them in their development as players.
“There were tired legs out there and we were punished for our defending at two corners but Slovakia were the host nations and showed their qualities too.
“The most important aspect of this tournament has been the learning for the players and the fact that U19 head coach Tom Mohan has been here observing the players and many will have shown him that they can do a job for him next season.”
Republic of Ireland: Travers, A Byrne, O’Sullivan, O’Hora, McSweeney, McKenna (Nicell 76), Keaney (J Martin 65), N Byrne (Mollett 76), Dillon (T Byrne 65), Ayoola (Flanagan 41), Scully (Hogan 41).
RESULTS
Monday, April 24: Czech Republic 3-1 Republic of Ireland, Modranka
Tuesday, April 25: Republic of Ireland 0-0 Russia, Dunajska Luzna
Thursday, April 27: Republic of Ireland 2-1 Turkey, Dunajska Luzna
Friday, April 28: 3rd-4th play-off: Slovakia 2-0 Republic of Ireland, Jaslovske Bohunice
A superb finish from Luke O’Neill midway through the first half was enough to earn the Waterford club their first ever National title at the expense of a spirited Carrigaline side.
Genuine goals scoring opportunities were at a premium during the opening exchanges until the game sparked into life in the 28th minute when Tramore took the lead through Luke O’Neill.
After Favour Eddy charged down the right, the midfielder’s cross picked out Luke O’Neill in the middle and allowed the striker to expertly clip his volley across the keeper into the far top left corner of the net.
Carrigaline upped the tempo in the second half but they struggled to break through a stubborn Tramore defence, which has only conceded one goal en route to the final.
David Sexton’s powerful drive from a tight angle just shy of the hour mark was as close as United came to an equaliser but the striker was unfortunate to see his shot cannon off the far left post as Tramore hung on to claim the silverware.
Carrigaline United: Niall O’Leary, David Crotty, Christian Buttimer, Josh Honohan, Glen Sexton, Jack O’Mahony, Shane Lowney (Dean Farrissey 80), Adam O’Driscoll (Keelan Conway 63), Stephen Darcy, David Sexton (Cillian Hayes 88), Dylan O’Flaherty.
Tramore AFC: Dan Morrissey, Ben Daly, Cian O’Neil, Tom Carney, Ben Flynn, Lee Kavanagh, Conor Butler (Josh Douglas 83), Favour Eddy, Darragh Wall, Mohammad Ajala (Cameron Kent 89), Luke O’Neill (Dean Cowley 70).
Referee: Andrew Keogh.
An inspired performance from Nathan Manson-Browne saw the Cork outfit lead five-nil at half time.
Nathan Manson-Browne was fouled inside the box in the tenth minute by Jakub Jastrzebski and the spot kick was duly converted by Eoin Horgan.
Manson-Browne doubled the lead himself eight minutes later when his glancing header beat Magner in the Annacotty goal before the tricky left winger won his second penalty of the game. Horgan netted in the same corner to put the game to bed.
The 17-year-old terrorised Kennedy Tabot Naip in the first half, and added another goal to his tally seven minutes before the half.
He completed his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time when he executed a brilliant lob to emphasise both his and Leeside’s dominance.
Eoin Murphy added a sixth on the hour mark - sliding his shot cleverly past the out-rushing Regan-Magner to add further gloss to the scoreline on a great day for the Cork club.
Aisling Annacotty: James Regan-Magner; Kennedy Tabot Naip, Dion Lynch, Jakub Jastrzebski (Ian McCarthy 39), Killian Maloney; James Deegan (Oisin Cross 66), Shane Donegan; Sean Feeney (Sam Lane 76), Conor Coughlan, Ciaran Pateman (Eoin Murphy 46); Stephen Coughlan (Sam Burns 60).
Leeside AFC: Ben Graham; Greg Magner, Robert O'Connor, Jack McCarth, Kallum Long; Eoghan O'Sullivan (Ciaran Horgan 86), Sean O'Driscoll (Kevin Cody 89); Eoin Horgan (Scott Horgan 81), Eoin Murphy, Nathan Manson-Browne (Matthew Long 76); George Keating (Lughaidh Wiseman 64).
Referee: Christopher Maher.
The squad depart Dublin on Monday ahead of their opening game against Serbia on Thursday, May 4 at Stadium Rujevica, Rijeka. Ireland will also take on Bosnia & Herzegovina and Germany as they bid to make it out of Group C.
O’Brien is pleased with how preparations have gone so far. “Everybody is ready to go. The squad has been named and obviously we had a few tough decisions to make - that’s the nature of the international game. We’ve had over 20 players that have contributed this year in the campaign,” he said.
“We’ve had two pull out from the original squad. Glen McAuley from Liverpool has withdrawn for his own personal reasons and Conor Coventry from West Ham United has a broken toe, so that will force him out of the campaign."
Ireland made it through qualifying with an unbeaten record; winning all six games, scoring 16 goals and recording four clean sheets. It puts them in a good position going into the tournament.
O’Brien’s side kick off their tournament campaign on Thursday, May 4 when they face Serbia and follow it up with a clash against Bosnia & Herzegovina on Sunday, May 7 before meeting Germany on Wednesday, May 10, which will be screened live on Eurosport 1.
The top two in each group will progress to the last eight. The final tournament will also act as the European qualifier for UEFA's five berths in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, running from October 6 to 28.
Republic of Ireland Under 17 Squad - UEFA European Under 17 Championship
Goalkeepers: Brian Maher (St Patrick’s Athletic), Kian Clarke (Bohemians)
Defenders: Lee O’Connor (Manchester United), Kameron Ledwidge (St Kevin’s Boys), Nathan Collins (Stoke City), Jordan Doherty (Sheffield United), Daryl Walsh (Waterford FC), Joe Redmond (Birmingham City)
Midfielders: Aaron Bolger (Shamrock Rovers), Luke Nolan (St Patrick’s Athletic), Brandon Kavanagh (Bohemians), Richard O’Farrell (St Patrick’s Athletic), Gavin Kilkenny (Bournemouth), Tyreik Wright (Lakewood AFC)
Forwards: Callum Thompson (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rowan Roache (Blackpool), Adam Idah (Corinthian Boys), Aaron Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Fixtures
Thursday, 4 May: Republic of Ireland v Serbia, Stadium Rujevica, Rijeka, KO 15:30
Sunday 7 May: Republic of Ireland v Bosnia & Herzegovina, Stadium Kostena, KO 15:30
Wednesday, 10 May: Republic of Ireland v Germany, Stadium Rujevica, Rijeka, KO 11:00, LIVE on Eurosport 1
The Kilkenny side kept their nerve in a penalty shoot-out with St Mary's, winning 4-3, following a 2-2 draw in what was an entertaining game.
Ahead of their appearance in the upcoming FAI Junior Cup Final, Evergreen made the most of their home advantage in Evergreen Park as they triumphed in the shoot-out.
Penalties were also required at Everton Park and Ballymun United SC, where Everton overcame Liffey Wanderers and Killester United edged past Ballymun United in a Dublin derby.
Bangor Celtic didn't have to go that far but their duel with Cherry Orchard did stretch into extra-time before they did enough to win.
There were also victories for Ballincollig, Cobh Wanderers, Killarney Celtic and Sheriff YC, who join Bluebell United, Crumlin United, Glenville and Portmarnock in the next round.
Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup Qualifying Round
Ballymun United 1-1 Killester United (AET, 3-5 pens)
Bangor Celtic 3-2 Cherry Orchard (AET)
College Corinthians 0-1 Ballincollig
Edenderry Town 0-1 Cobh Wanderers
Evergreen 2-2 St Mary's (AET, 4-3 pens)
Everton 1-1 Liffey Wanderers (AET, 5-3 pens)
Greystones United 0-3 Sheriff YC
Killarney Celtic 1-0 Boyle Celtic
Byes: Bluebell United, Crumlin United, Glenville, Portmarnock
