Ireland are set to face Israel at Tallaght Stadium on Monday, October 9th, with kick-off at 3.30pm, after they claimed a point against Norway in a 0-0 draw on Thursday.

Ireland dominated much of the contest against the Norwegians but failed to find the net despite plenty of chances throughout the second-half, but the result saw Ireland stay at the top of Group Five, just ahead of Germany. 

Israel are currently fourth in the group but have claimed four points in two games and remain unbeaten during their campaign, and King is expecting a different kind of threat.

The U21s Head Coach said: "We go into the game full of confidence. We did well against Norway and were disappointed not to come out of the game with a win in the end. 

"We played really well in patches and created plenty of chances throughout the game so we can use that and go forward into the Israel game tomorrow full of confidence.

"Israel will pose a different kind of threat. They're not as physical as Norway, very technical in their play and we'll have to adjust our approach slightly to face up to that challenge. 

"They can give us problems but we can give them problems as well and we can only optimistic going into the game."

Tickets for the game will be available on the day of the game, priced at €10 for adults and €5 for children/students/OAPs. Entry is free for FAI season ticket holders, Shamrock Rovers season ticket holders and IT Tallaght students.

With a number of players vying to breach King's starting XI, the Ireland U21s boss believes the side he puts out will be capable of an all-important victory.

He added: "We've had two elevens the same in the last two games so we'll have to see what happens overnight. We'll name the team before kick-off and whatever team I pick, they'll be capable of getting the job done. 

"We've got plenty of threats on the bench to call upon if needed as well. We've been together for nine days and eight nights now so there is one focus, and that is Israel.

"The aim is to get the win of course, to be in a situation with 10 points out of 12 would be great but we can't just talk about, we need to go out there and win it."

Supporter Information

Ireland supporters in Cardiff are urged to be at the stadium early this evening. Due to traffic restrictions, congestion is expected on routes to the stadium. Ticket holders will be required to go through two security searches to gain entry to the stadium. 

Team News 

Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long has been ruled out of the match day 23 with a hip injury. Returning from suspension are Robbie Brady and James McClean who both missed Friday's 2-0 win over Moldova. Brady and McClean's inclusions in the 23 for Shane Long and Eunan O'Kane are the only changes in the match day squad.

The full list of players and squad numbers for both teams has now been confirmed. 

Republic of Ireland 

Goalkeepers

1. Colin Doyle

16. Rob Elliot

23. Darren Randolph           

Defenders

2. Cyrus Christie       

3. Ciaran Clark          

4. John O'Shea          

5. Richard Keogh      

17. Stephen Ward    

20. Shane Duffy       

21. Kevin Long         

Midfielders

6. Glenn Whelan

7. Aiden McGeady    

10. Robbie Brady     

11. James McClean   

12. Callum O'Dowda

13. Jeff Hendrick      

14. Wes Hoolahan    

15. Conor Hourihane           

18. David Meyler      

22. Harry Arter         

Forwards

8. Daryl Murphy       

9. Scott Hogan           

19. Seán Maguire     

Wales

Goalkeepers

1. Wayne Hennessey           

12. Chris Maxwell    

21. Danny Ward       

Defenders

2. Chris Gunter         

3. Neil Taylor

4. Ben Davies

5. James Chester      

6. Ashley Williams    

19. Thomas Lockyer 

Midfielders

7. Joe Allen    

8. Andy King             

10. Aaron Ramsey                

14. David Edwards  

15. Ethan Ampadu   

16. Joe Ledley           

17. Tom Lawrence   

20. Jonathan Williams         

Forwards

9. Hal Robson-Kanu             

11. Tom Bradshaw               

13. David Brooks                  

18. Sam Vokes                      

22. Ben Woodburn              

23. Ryan Hedges       

Social Media 
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FIFA World Cup Qualifier

Wales v Republic of Ireland

Venue: Cardiff City Stadium

Kick Off: 19:45 

The Aviva Stadium was the setting for the official launch of the new EU funded 'More than a Club' initiative to coincide with the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifying match against Moldova.

Legendary Irish defender, Richard Dunne was on hand to lend his support to the initiative which will see the FAI and Vi-Ability cooperate with local professional football clubs in Ireland and Wales and assist them to develop social enterprise based Club in the Community schemes or Football Enterprises to address under-served social needs within disadvantaged communities.

 'More than a Club' is a joint project initiative between the Football Association of Ireland and a vibrant young Welsh social enterprise called Vi-Ability and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund via the Ireland Wales Cooperation programme 2014-2020.

The project will empower the clubs to recognise and utilise the powerful attraction of football and the value of their club brand locally in order to develop key strategic partnerships with statutory agencies and community groups to deliver important social programmes. In the process, it is expected that clubs will evolve as more valuable and relevant community entities becoming more relevant to more people in their communities. FAI Project Manager, Derek O’Neill said:

“The FAI and Vi-Ability believe that engaging community in a more inclusive way can positively affect a football club’s prospects of sustainability. Participating in innovative community partnerships can facilitate this. We are delighted to have secured this funding from the Ireland Wales programme to support clubs  in Ireland and Wales to further develop their engagement with community stakeholders. We hope the model that will be developed in cooperation with Bohemian FC and Cork City FC and counterparts in Wales can act as flagship models which other clubs can look to emulate”.

The programmes to be delivered by the newly supported social enterprises will have a sharp social focus and will leverage the power of football to engage people. For example, children who may be struggling in school can avail of football themed literacy and numeracy supports while other programmes within the project with a health and well-being focus will provide valuable supports for older people.

The project will start immediately and the FAI and Vi-Ability will recruit two full time Football Enterprise Coordinators in each club for an 18-month period. The Project Management team will also provide guidance and advice on how to develop the Football Enterprise schemes and the social programmes to be delivered. This schemes developed in Ireland with Bohemian FC and Cork City FC will also be mirrored in Wales where two local professional clubs will also develop social enterprise based community schemes with coordinators in both regions exchanging valuable information and learnings to ensure the project is a sustainable success story.

QPR striker Reece Grego-Cox scored a hat-trick and Everton midfielder Harry Charsley completed the scoring as Ireland stay top of Group Five. 

It was a fantastic performance from start to finish as Noel King went with an unchanged team, and they continued their unbeaten run at Tallaght Stadium.

It took just over 40 seconds to go ahead. It was a goal made in Loftus Road as QPR duo forward Ryan Manning found a low cross to Reece Grego-Cox, and he tucked home from six-yards out. 

Derry City forward Ronan Curtis should have made it 2-0 eight minutes later when he bustled through two Israeli defenders on the edge of the area, but placed his effort wide of the left-hand post.

Israel were struggling to deal with the Irish front-three of Manning, Curtis and Grego-Cox, and the latter should have added to his tally in the 20th minute, but he couldn't direct Harry Charsley's low cross goal-wards from eight yards out.

It was Charsley who eventually doubled Ireland's lead as the industrious Grego-Cox somehow dug out a cross from the left and after captain Josh Cullen touched the ball on, the Everton midfielder tucked home under the keeper after the half-hour.

Three minutes later, Ireland went into a three-goal lead. Israel lost the ball in defence and after a brilliant through-ball to Curtis, the Derry City forward was fouled by the out-stretched keeper, and the referee pointed to the spot. Grego-Cox took up the responsibility and put Ireland into a commanding lead at the break.

Any worries about a Israeli second-half comeback were quickly extinguished as Grego-Cox claimed his hat-trick. Manning's right-sided corner was only punched away as far as Curtis who saw his shot well saved but Grego-Cox tucked home the rebound in the 50th minute.

Ireland continued to press forward in search of more goals as Manning went close but Ireland secured an impressive victory to stay unbeaten and continue their run at the top of the UEFA U21 European Championship qualifying group five.

Ireland U21 boss Noel King said: "It was a great performance throughout. We kept our discipline throughout the game and to get the fourth goal in the second-half really clinched the game for us.

"We've been in all week and a lot of effort went into it, from the players and the staff as well, so it is a great reward for their hard work. We would have liked to have got two wins in the week but to stay unbeaten and to get 10 points out of 12 puts us in a great position."

Ireland U21 assistant manager Harry McHugh said: "The best thing about this group is that the starting XI know there is so much quality in the squad, that someone on the bench can take their place if they don't perform.

"It's a long campaign and the whole squad will definitely get their chance to impress but it definitely keeps everyone on their toes. I've really been impressed with the whole group and we need to keep that spirit high for the rest of the campaign."

Teams

Republic of Ireland: O'Hara (GK), Kane, Whelan, Donnellan, Sweeney, Cullen (C), Rice (Shaughnessy 77), Charsley (Quigley 80), Grego-Cox (Mulraney 69), Manning, Curtis. 

Subs not used: Bossin (GK), Kinsella, Ronan, Delaney.

Israel: Glazer (GK), Meir, Ben David, Ghantus (Gamoun 11, (Nahmias 70)), Bitton, Plakushchenko, Peretz (C), Weissman, Solomon, Nassar, Barshazky.

Subs: Hasson (GK), Hozez, Cohen, Awwad, Avraham. 

Referee: Fedayi San (SUI)

2022413

Ireland produced a sensational performance in Cardiff to beat Wales 1-0. In a tight and tense affair, James McClean's 57th minute strike earned Ireland a famous three points.

The goal came following a fantastic run down the wing by Jeff Hendrick. He got to the endline, whipped an inviting ball into the area. Harry Arter produced a clever stepover to leave James McClean free to bury it past Wayne Hennessey. 

Ireland withstood a Welsh onslaught, with Man of the Match Shane Duffy putting in a towering performance. 

Martin O'Neill's side now await their fate in the play-off draw. 

The WNT travel to Slovakia for the qualifier at the National Training Centre in Senec, Slovakia on Tuesday, October 24th with kick-off at 4.30pm (5.30pm CET).

Republic of Ireland strikers Stephanie Roche and Aine O'Gorman have been ruled out of the game following injuries sustained in the 2-0 win over Northern Ireland so the WNT manager has recalled Celtic forward Ruesha Littlejohn to the squad.

Shelbourne Ladies winger Isibeal Atkinson receives her first senior call-up to the squad following her impressive form for the WU17s in their recent unbeaten qualifying group campaign against Bosnia & Herzegovina, Romania and Greece. 

Wexford Youths striker Claire O'Riordan also comes into the squad following her impressive form for the Continental Tyres Women's National League leaders as the WNT look to build on their impressive start to the campaign with a result in Slovakia.

WNT Head Coach Colin Bell said: "To sustain two injuries in the first qualifying game was a major blow to us. Stephanie and Aine are major parts of the team and have plenty of experience so we will miss them for this game, but it is also an opportunity for the other players to step up.

"Ruesha Littlejohn comes back into the squad as she has plenty of international experience and Claire O'Riordan comes in after she joined us in the Northern Ireland camp, and has really impressed me with her recent form.

"I'm delighted to welcome Isibeal Atkinson into the squad, her first senior call-up and I'm sure she'll relish the experience. She's really impressed me during the home-based training sessions as well as our time in Bosnia with the Under-17s, and I think she will benefit from training with the senior squad.

"With an important elite phase in the Netherlands coming up for the Women's Under-19s, I felt it was important not to call up any player from that group to give Dave Connell's side the best chance of progression.

"It is going to be a tough match for us but it's important we go into the game looking to build off that positivity from our performance in Northern Ireland and keep pushing forward in our qualification campaign."

Republic of Ireland squad to face Slovakia

Goalkeepers: Marie Hourihan (Manchester City), Amanda Budden (Cork City WFC), Amanda McQuillan (Shelbourne Ladies)

Defenders: Harriet Scott (Reading WFC), Diane Caldwell (SC Sand), Louise Quinn (Arsenal), Sophie Perry (Brighton and Hove Albion), Clare Walsh (UCD Waves), Megan Campbell (Manchester City).

Midfielders: Karen Duggan (UCD Waves), Niamh Fahey (Bordeaux), Denise O'Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Tyler Toland (Maiden City), Roma McLaughlin (Shelbourne Ladies).

Attackers: Katie McCabe (Arsenal, on loan at Glasgow City), Amber Barrett (Peamount United), Claire O'Riordan (Wexford Youths), Ruesha Littlejohn (Celtic), Leanne Kiernan (Shelbourne Ladies), Heather Payne (Peamount United), Isibeal Atkinson (Shelbourne Ladies).

The Republic of Ireland Under 19 side have qualified for the UEFA European Championship Elite Round following a 2-1 win over Serbia in Waterford RSC this afternoon.

Tom Mohan’s side topped the group with seven points from nine thanks to today’s come-from-behind win. Ireland now enter the Elite Round as one of the top seeds with progression to the Finals the target for the side.

A tight battle in the RSC came to life as Serbia took the lead in the 29th minute with a brilliantly taken goal. Jayson Molumby was penalised for a tackle on the edge of the area and Luka Ilic stepped up to curl the resultant free kick in off the underside of the crossbar.

Ireland came out after the restart flying and got their reward within 15 minutes as Lee O’Connor headed Tom Mohan’s side level. The pressure continued to mount on the Serbians with Jonathan Afolabi a constant threat.

The comeback was completed in the 70th minute when UCD attacker Neil Farrugia nipped in to put Lee O’Connor’s knockdown past Aleksandar Popovic in the Serbia goal.

Speaking after the game, Ireland Head Coach Tom Mohan was delighted with his team’s performance.

“Serbia are always a top side in underage European football,” he said. “For our boys to go 1-0 down and come back shows the spirit and the character in the group. We dominated the second half, our boys dug in, kept the ball well and converted our chances when we created them. We’re very pleased.

“There is great ability in the group. We are producing good players, no matter what anybody says, and there are plenty of positives to take from the campaign.

“Although we didn’t score in the first game we probably created more chances than any other game. The Cyprus game gave us a massive boost when we needed it and that set us up nicely for today. We are number 1 seeds going into the Elite Round draw and that is hugely positive.”

Ireland: Travers (GK), Carroll, Wilson, O'Shea, T. O'Connor, L. O'Connor, Molumby ©, McKenna, Bolger, Afolabi, Farrugia.

Substitutes: Maher (GK), Flanagan, Obafemi, Doherty, Martin.

Red Card: Aaron Bolger (94')

Serbia: Popovic (GK), Vlalukin, Terzic, Kojic (Zivkovic 82), Vaselinovic, Bosnjak ©, Stanojev (Jovanovic 74), Petrovic, Joveljic, Iiic, Jovanovic (Nikolic 65).

Red Card: Popovic (94')

Republic of Ireland Under 17’s got their UEFA European Under 17 Championship Qualifying Round off to the perfect start with a 6-0 win over Azerbaijan in Bulgaria this evening.

Adam Idah, returning for another year at this level was ruthless in front of goal as he helped himself to a hat-trick. The first coming after just six minutes, a cool finish at the back post followed by a sublime volley 18 minutes later from a pinpoint Tyreik Wright cross.

Quick fire goals in the space of two minutes at the end of the half from Max Murphy and Sean Brennan gave Colin O’Brien’s side a four-goal cushion at the break – an emphatic finishing display from the Boys in Green.

Wright got in on the act after the restart to make it five before Idah wrapped up his hat-trick with twenty minutes remaining to cap off a fantastic personal and team display.

Following the game Head Coach Colin O’Brien was pleased with what he had seen.

“The players have been very positive all week in their application, and that transpired on the pitch into a great performance. We converted the chances we created and our attitude was where we wanted it to be. We are happy with the three points, that was our target at the start of the day.”

Next up for Ireland is a meeting with tournament hosts Bulgaria on Friday – a must win game for the Bulgarians following their 0-3 defeat to Ukraine today.

“We’ll do our recovery work from today and get the mindset ready for Bulgaria. They have to win following today’s results so it will be a cup final for them. We’ve no doubt it will be a tough game but we’ll be prepared and ready for the challenge.”

Ireland: Clarke (GK), Murphy, Ledwidge, McEntee, Collins(C), Knight, Thompson, Coffey, Idah (Ellis 67’), Wright (Walsh 49’), Brennan (Mahon 57’).

Azerbaijan: Arazli (GK), Rahimli, Omarov, Ibragimov, Hasanov (Muradov 62’), Gurbanov (Nuriyev 72’) , Abdullazade, Valizada(C), Maharramov, Abdullazade, Asgarov (Mammadov 41’)

Referee: Barbeno Luca (SMR)

Footage of James McClean's goal against Wales in the Cardiff City Stadium that secured Ireland a place in the FIFA World Cup Play-Offs.

The new video shows the jubilant scenes on the pitch, in the stands and on the Ireland bench when the ball hit the net. 

Relive the moment below: 

The WU19s side face a trip to the Netherlands next week as they look to progress to the elite round in their quest to qualify for the European Championships in Switzerland in July 2018. 

Ireland face Estonia on Wednesday, October 18th, with kick-off at 3pm, Latvia on Saturday, October 21st, with kick-off at 12pm and the qualifying group hosts the Netherlands on Tuesday, October 24th, with kick-off at 6pm.

There is plenty of Continental Tyres Women's National League representation in the squad as Peamount United's Niamh Farrelly, Cork City Women's Saoirse Noonan and Galway WFC defender Sadhbh Doyle have all been selected. 

Shelbourne Ladies midfielder Alex Kavanagh misses out through an injury and Galway's Rachel Baynes also misses out through illness. Kavanagh sustained her injury in the 1-0 FAI Cup semi-final defeat against UCD Waves, but Tiegan Ruddy comes into the squad after making her return from injury in the same match. 

Republic of Ireland WU19's Head Coach Dave Connell said: "I'm really looking forward to working with the group ahead of next week's qualifying round fixtures.

"It'll be a tough task for the players as we will be facing three good sides, including the Netherlands, who were last year's U17s and U19s semi finalist. You can never take anything for granted in football but I'm sure if we can play to the best of our abilities, we have every chance to progress to the elite phase.

"We've got some experience in the squad as Saoirse Noonan, who was the WU17 Player of the Year last year, continues with the team but we'll also welcome in some new faces. Chloe Singleton, Phoebe Warner, Sadhbh Doyle and Tiegan Ruddy were all involved with the Under-17s last year so I'm really looking forward to working with them.

"Whilst it is a shame we're missing Alex Kavanagh and Rachel Baynes through injury, and Heather Payne and Leanne Kiernan are currently involved with our senior team, we've got plenty of players in the squad who have played a lot of Women's National League football this season and that can only be a real positive for us."

Republic of Ireland WU19 squad

Goalkeepers: Naoisha McAloon (Peamount United), Sophie Lenihan (Wexford Youths)

Defenders: Sadhbh Doyle (Galway WFC), Chloe Singleton (Galway WFC), Tiegan Ruddy (Shelbourne Ladies), Lauren O'Callaghan (Peamount United), Lynn Craven (Shelbourne Ladies), Jade Reddy (Peamount United)

Midfielders: Niamh Farrelly (Peamount United), Orla Casey (Wexford Youths), Phoebe Warner (Aston Villa), Tara O'Gorman (Cork City WFC), Keelin McEntee (UCD Waves), Daniele Burke (Cork City WFC), Leah Reybet Degat (Team Vaud).

Attackers: Carla McManus (Peamount United), Chloe McNamee (Shelbourne Ladies), Saoirse Noonan (Cork City WFC), Kate Mooney (Shelbourne Ladies) Lauren Kelly ( UCD Waves )

Gerry Davis's side took the lead on 27 minutes through Janesboro FC striker Shane Clarke. The Limerick man calmly slotted home after some good link-up play from Jack Doherty and Eoin Hayes. 

Ireland could have been two goals up before the break but a lapse in concentration allowed the Isle of Man to equalise just before half-time. 

Five minutes into the second half, Ireland regained the lead when Newmarket Celtic frontman Eoin Hayes got his name on the scoresheet after be was in the right place to capitalise on a parried shot from Doherty. 

However, the Isle of Man kept battling and were rewarded for their efforts with a second equalising goal of the day. 

Ireland showed excellent character and continued to threaten, going close on numerous occasions. With 15 minutes to go, Usher Celtic striker Steven Donnelly, sprung from the bench, latched onto a Paul Murphy long pass and calmly slotted in what proved to be the winner. 

In the other game, Scotland and Northern Ireland drew 2-2. Ireland now face Scotland in their next outing before meeting Northern Ireland on Saturday afternoon.

Republic of Ireland supporters will be able to purchase tickets to the home leg of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Play-Off involving Martin O'Neill's team from Friday, October 20.

The draw for the Play-Off takes place on Tuesday, October 17 at 1pm, where Ireland will discover their opponent for a two-legged tie and the dates will be fixed for the home and away games.

Public sale of tickets for the home leg will begin just three days later, starting at 11:00am, with prices starting at €30 for adults and €20 for kids - excluding booking fees.

Applications for the away leg can be submitted via the Away Ticketing System on Thursday, October 19 - http://away.fai.ie

FAI Season Ticket holders, Club Ireland members and Jack Charlton Lounge patrons can avail of an exclusive pre-sale period starting on Wednesday, October 18 at 11:00am. This pre-sale is only for the home leg.

The home leg is included in the 2017/18 FAI Season Ticket package - the pre-sale refers only to ST holders purchasing extra tickets.

The programme has quickly become one of the most popular sections of the schools soccer calendar, with talented students from all over the country aspiring to replicate the talents of Lionel Messi, Zico, Juninio, Kaka and Ronaldo. These legends of the football world have inspired youngsters to get involved and in doing so have increased the profile of futsal on an International scale. 

Over 16,000 children will take part in this initiative inside a three month period in both our Primary and Post Primary Schools throughout Ireland.

This month will see competitions commence in the 26 counties as students take to the courts to showcase their skills. 

To date, 612 primary schools have signed up to play resulting in 980 teams, culminating in a total of 11,760 children taking part. The post primary schools have 257 schools registered with 385 teams participating, amounting to a total of 4,620 students in action. 

Now in its 10th year, this exciting initiative has reached phenomenal participation rates. This is largely attributed to the hard work of the FAI’s Development Officers promoting the programmes at grassroots level as well as our excellent relationship with local teachers who have participated in other schools activities over the last few years. Now a regular fixture in the schools’ calendar, this is set to be one of the biggest years yet for futsal. 

PRIMARY SCHOOLS FUTSAL

The Tipperary Primary Schools Futsal programme was the first to kick off their campaign this season with 40 schools, 80 teams participating in three different venues; Peake Villa FC, Cahir Park and Ballymackey  FC. The participation initiative saw 960 kids enjoy the blitz day format.

Watch out for the various primary schools competitions kicking off in your locality shortly. We wish all participating schools the very best of luck. 

POST PRIMARY SCHOOLS FUTSAL

Donegal & Inishowen have completed their Post Primary Schools Futsal programme for First Year Boys & Girls as the winners now prepare for the Ulster Finals which are scheduled for the AURA Leisure Centre, Letterkenny on November 14.

Carndonagh Community School will represent the boys and girls from the Inishowen region having claimed top spot last week while St. Columba’s College, Stranorlar (Boys) and Loreto Convent, Letterkenny (Girls) ran out winners this week as Donegal contenders. 

No doubt there will be some futsal fever in the schools nationwide as the various Counties gear up for their events. 

POST PRIMARY SCHOOLS FUTSAL DATES

Provincial Finals:

Ulster                                    November 14                      AURA Leisure Centre, Letterkenny
Connacht                             November 15                      IT Sligo
Munster                              November 23                     Waterford IT Sports Arena
Leinster                                November 21                      National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown
Leinster                                November 22                     National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown
National Final:                   December 5                        Waterford IT Sports Arena

LAST YEARS ROLL OF HONOUR: 

Post Primary Schools – Girls 
WINNERS:                                            Presentation Secondary School, Kilkenny                  
RUNNERS UP:                                    Claregalway College, Galway      
THIRD:                                                  Loreto Community School, Milford, Donegal
FOURTH:                                             Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine, Kenmare, Kerry

Post Primary Schools - Boys
WINNERS:                                            Summerhill College, Sligo
RUNNERS UP:                                    St. Francis College, Rochestown, Cork
THIRD:                                                  Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana, Donegal
FOURTH:                                             St. Mary’s Diocesan School, Drogheda, Louth

NOTES 

WHAT IS FUTSAL | Futsal is an indoor version of association football. It is played between two teams of five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper, and up to seven substitutes per team. Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the game is played on a hard court surface delimited by lines; walls or boards are not used. 

Futsal is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regulation football.  The rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS FUTSAL PROGRAMME | This is a participation initiative run to local level. Boys and girls in third and fourth class will participate in this fun filled one day blitz. There are separate competitions for boys and girls but girls are permitted to play in the boy’s competition. 

POST PRIMARY SCHOOLS FUTSAL PROGRAMME | It caters for First Year students, boys and girls. The programme will begin at county level and the winners will progress to Provincial and National qualifiers.

Scotland snatched an 89th winner to break the hearts of the Junior International players in their second game in the Umbro Quadrangular Tournament.

Gerry Davis made a number of changes to the side that started against the Isle of Man. Adrian Walsh replaced Gary Neville in goal, Chris Smith, Stephen Mc Gann, Niall Andrewsand David Joyce replaced Jordan Buckley Kieran Mc Daid, Jack Doherty and Anto Kavanagh. 

The game offered very few chances for either team with Scotland having the majority of possession in the first half but failed to create any creditable openings, the best chance of the half fell to Newmarket Celtic's Eoin Hayes in the 44th minute when his shot was pushed on to the post by the Scottish goalkeeper. 

The second half continued mush the same as the first half with Ireland content to allow Scotland dictate play and defend in numbers, the Irish defense was outstanding with Kelly and Andrews outstanding in the center of the back four. 

Ireland looked to have achieved their goal of taking a point off hosts Scotland when in the 89th minute Scotland scored the only goal of the game when a cross to the back post found two Scottish players in space and the striker saw his shot deflected pass Adrian Walsh. 

With Northern Ireland beating the Isle of Man 4-1 the Republic of Ireland need a win against the North and hopping that the Isle of Man do them a huge turn and beat Scotland which would see them retain the trophy. 

Team: Adrian Walsh, Paul Murphy, Chris Higgins, Niall Andrews, Stephen Kelly, Jimmy Carr, David Joyce, Stephen Mc Gann, Chris Smith, Eoin Hayes, Shane Clarke. 

Subs Used: Eoin Fowler, Jordan Buckley.

The Republic of Ireland Under 17 side have qualified for the UEFA European U17 Championship Elite Round following this evening’s 3-0 win away to Bulgaria.

The win followed Tuesday’s 6-0 win over Azerbaijan and ensured Colin O’Brien’s side sealed progression to the Elite Round with a game to spare.

Ireland will face fellow table toppers Ukraine on Monday needing just a point to confirm their progression as group winners thanks to their superior goal difference.

Following his hat-trick on Tuesday, Adam Idah picked up where he left off with a goal after just three minutes. Idah beat the offside trap to get on the end of Nathan Collins’ long ball to give Ireland the dream start.

Barry Coffey doubled the lead in the 17th minute with a ferocious finish from inside the area to give Ireland a commanding lead at the break.

O’Brien’s Ireland had to wait until eight minutes from time to add the third. Adam Idah showed impressive hunger to intercept a square ball from Gabriel Zemarski. He then beat Tomaslav Papazov and smashed the ball into the far corner to put the icing on a fantastic performance. Five goals in two games for the Cork man.

Attention now turns to Monday's showdown with Ukraine with top spot on the line.  

Ireland: Clarke (GK), Murphy, Ledwidge, McEntee, Collins (C), Knight, Thompson, Coffey, Idah, Wright, Brennan.

Subs: Bohan (GK), Mahon, A. O’Reilly, Spain, K. O’Reilly, Parrot, Brennan, Ellis

The Republic of Ireland suffered their second defeat in the Umbro Quadrangular Trophy going down 2-1 to Northern Ireland in their final game. The win for Northern Ireland saw them lift the trophy as hosts Scotland could only manage a 2-1 win over the Isle of Man. 

It was Northern Ireland’s first win over the Republic of Ireland in a competitive game and over the ninety minutes Northern Ireland just shaded it having taken a two nil lead before Shane Clarke pulled one back with fifteen minutes to go, which saw Northern Ireland hang on after some close scares. 

Shane Clarke from Janesboro FC was voted the Republic's Player of the Tournament having scored twice and leading the line up front in what were three very physical games. 

Manager Gerry Davies will have much to ponder on before his next International Fixtures come around but there were some positives from last weeks Tournament with some solid performances from Sheriff duo Paul Murphy and Anto Kavanagh, while Jack Doherty of Carrick showed some deft touches as did Stephen Donnelly and Jordan Buckley. 

The Isle of Man will host the 2019 Tournament and you can be sure Gerry Davies will be hopping that fortunes will change for his Junior players. 

Team: Adrian Walsh, Chris Higgins, Niall Andrews, Anto Kavanagh, Paul Murphy, Jordan Buckley, Kieran Mc Daid, Jack Doherty, James Mc Grath, Stephen Donnelly, Shane Clarke. 

Subs used. Jimmy Carr, David Joyce, Eoin Hayes. 

• Four World Cup spots up for grabs in European play-offs
• Draw takes place in Zurich on 17 October 
• The event will be streamed live on FIFA.com

The number of places still available at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ is falling rapidly, with 23 of the 32 spots having already been taken. Ten of those countries already making plans for next year (including the host nation Russia) are European. The Old Continent has another four berths up for grabs, with the eight best group runners-up from the UEFA qualifiers heading into the play-offs to fight it out for those remaining spots.

The draw for the forthcoming play-off round will take place at 13.00 on Tuesday 17 October in Zurich. 

How can I watch the draw?
The event will be broadcast via live streaming on FIFA.com, Facebook and YouTube. 

Which teams are in the draw?
Denmark, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Northern Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland.

The eight best group runners-up were divided up based on criteria set out in the regulations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, namely points, goal difference, number of goals scored and fair play ranking. Results obtained against teams which finished sixth in the respective groups were discounted.

How will the draw work?
The eight teams will be divided into two pots, with the four best-ranked teams in one of the pots. 

Seeded Teams (FIFA World Ranking)

Switzerland (11), Italy (15), Croatia (18), Denmark (19).

Unseeded Teams (FIFA World Ranking) 

Northern Ireland (23), Sweden (25), Republic of Ireland (26), Greece (47).

First of all, a team will be drawn from pot 1, and then another from pot 2. Both balls will then be placed into a third pot. Both balls in pot 3 will then be mixed up again and then drawn one after the other. The team drawn first will be at home in the first leg. The same procedure will then be repeated for the remaining balls in the two pots.

How and when will the matches be played?
The eight teams will play two matches with home and away legs, which are scheduled to take place between 9 – 14 November. 

The results of the play-off matches will be based on the aggregate of the two legs. Should the scores be level, the team which scores more goals away from home will go through. If there is still not a winner at the end of regulation time in the second leg, the match will go into extra time, with two halves of 15 minutes each. The away goals rule will also apply in extra time. Should there still be no winner at the end of extra time, the tie will be decided on penalties, as set out in the Laws of the Game. 

Social Media 

Follow our official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube accounts for the draw live and instant reaction from Zurich.

Donohue’s squad will assemble for a three-day training camp which will be ideal preparation for November’s double header with Poland in Longford.

Following the squad announcement, Donohue spoke to FAI.ie and was looking forward to the season ahead.

“This is the start of our season and the whole coaching team are really looking forward to it. The standard of football we’ve seen on show in the SSE Airtricity Under 15 National League in particular has been very encouraging and we are looking forward to getting the squad in.

“It is still very early in the season.  In selecting the squad, the coaching staff and our scouting network have been to over 60 games across the country. The door has not been shut on anyone and there will be plenty of chances for players to impress,” Donohue said.

The training camp will culminate when the squad take on Manchester City Under 15’s on October 30, a game which will see former Ireland international Mark Kennedy bringing his City side to the FAI National Training Centre for the second year in succession.

On the friendly, the Ireland Head Coach Donohue added, “Manchester City came over last year and were impressed by both the facilities and the quality of the game we played. We have continued a healthy working relationship with the club and the match will be a good test of our credentials at this stage of the season.”

Republic of Ireland Under 15 Squad

Patrick McGarvey (Finn Harps)

Darragh Burke (Cork City)

Fionnan Coyle (Finn Harps)

Gavin O’Brien (St Kevin’s Boys)

Joseph Rush (Limerick FC)

Ronan Kilkenny (St Kevin’s Boys)

Jake Prendergast (Limerick FC)

Jamie Doyle (St Patrick’s Athletic)

Bosun Lawal (St Kevin’s Boys)

Kyle Conway (St Patrick’s Athletic)

Kailin Barlow (Sligo Rovers)

Colin Conroy (St Kevin’s Boys)

Sami Clarke (Shamrock Rovers)

Val Adekoun (Dundalk)

Oran Crow (Cork City)

Kenneth Lee (St Patrick’s Athletic)

Dylan Gavin (Athlone Town FC)

Cian Kavanagh (St Patrick’s Athletic)

Standby Players to attend October Training Camp

Darragh Reilly (St Patrick’s Athletic)

Len O’Sullivan (St Kevin’s Boys)

Oran Groarke (Sligo Rovers)

Kian Moore (Shamrock Rovers)

Chris O’Connor (Cork City)

Monday October 30

Republic of Ireland U15 v Manchester City U15.

KO: 13:00.

Venue: FAI National Training Centre, Abbotstown.

After three games, three wins and 12 goals scored, the Republic of Ireland Under 17s have advanced from the UEFA European Championship Qualifying Round as group winners and will be among the top seeds for the Elite Round.

Colin O’Brien’s side had to come from behind at the break this evening where two goals from Adam Idah and one from Adam O’Reilly ensured Ireland beat group rivals Ukraine in Bulgaria.

Idah’s double brings his tally to an impressive seven goals in three games in qualifying. Ireland now advance to the Elite Round as top seeds. Two teams from each group of four will progress to next May’s Finals tournament in England.

Head Coach Colin O’Brien spoke to FAI.ie following the win.

“We are delighted to have finished the group well,” he began. “Ukraine were a big test for us. They pressed us with intensity in the first half and forced us into difficult positions. I felt we were still well in the game at half-time and the team came out and clinically took the chances in the second half. We put together different types of moves and caused Ukraine problems in many ways.

“The whole squad can take credit for how this campaign has gone so far. That goes for players that had little or no game time too because their attitude was good and that kept the whole team pushing in training.

“There will be good teams in the Elite Round no matter who you get. The 100 per cent record is of course pleasing and that is down to the great work put in by the squad and the staff,” O’Brien added.

The draw for the Elite Round takes place on December 6 with the games to be played in early spring 2018.

Republic of Ireland: Clarke, Murphy, Ledwidge, McEntee, Collins, Knight, Coffey (Parrot 46), Idah, Wright (Thompson 72), Brennan, A. O'Reilly.

Qualifying Round Results

Tuesday, October 10: Ireland 6-0 Azerbaijan

Friday, October 13: Ireland 3-0 Bulgaria

Monday, October 16: Ukraine 1-3 Ireland

The Republic of Ireland will enter into a two-legged Play-Off with Denmark in a bid to secure a place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia next summer.

Martin O'Neill's team will be away in the first leg, which will be played on Saturday November 11, and home for the second leg, which will be played on Tuesday November 14 in Aviva Stadium.

After finishing as runners-up in Group D, Ireland were unseeded going into the Draw in Zurich. They could have been paired with either Croatia, Denmark, Italy or Switzerland.

Ireland have come up against Denmark 13 times overall - winning five, drawing five, losing three - with their last meeting coming in a 4-0 friendly win in 2007.

O'Neill, who successfully guided Ireland to EURO 2016 after overcoming Bosnia & Herzegovina in a two-legged play-off, is excited to begin preparations for the two games.

"We're delighted to have been drawn away from home first, so we will try to get some sort of advantage or certainly negate Denmark's advantages before we get to Dublin," said O'Neill.

"We have two games in quick succession and the turnover will be very quick, so let's go for it."

Public sale of tickets for the home leg will begin at 11:00am on Friday, October 20, with prices starting at €30 for adults and €20 for kids - excluding booking fees.

The home leg is included in the 2017/18 FAI Season Ticket package. However, if Season Ticket holders would like to purchase extra tickets then they can avail of an exclusive pre-sale period - which is also open to Club Ireland members and Jack Charlton Lounge patrons - that starts at 11:00am on Wednesday, October 18.

Applications for the away leg can be submitted via the Away Ticketing System on Thursday, October 19 - http://away.fai.ie