Ireland saw off hosts Israel 2-1 on Monday and followed it with a comfortable 3-0 victory against Fiji on Wednesday to claim back-to-back victories. They go into the game against Ukraine knowing at least a draw will see Paul Osam’s side win the tournament.
Barlow, who netted his first international goal against the Fijians, said there’s a great atmosphere amongst the squad ahead of the Ukraine game. He said: “The mood in the camp has been amazing all week and confidence is high. You can see it after each game that everyone is buzzing and we want to finish the tournament in the best possible way.
“The coaches give the players the freedom to identify ways we can make the most of our strengths which helps with our understanding so when we get onto the pitch we all know what our jobs are.
“We sit down as a squad and look at each of our opponents and focus on how we can exploit their weaknesses. We did this with Israel and Fiji and we’ve already identified ways we can take advantage of Ukraine’s flaws - we feel with the formation they play there’s an opportunity for our wide players to get in between the lines. Hopefully we can work this to our advantage, get the win and win the tournament."
The 15-year-old Sligo Rovers youth also spoke about scoring his first goal on the international stage. He said: “It was the best moment of my life. It’s not just big for me but for my family and for my club. I was pushed into midfield and I’ve been trying to get into the box and get on the end of crosses and I’m so happy I managed to do that and get a goal - I was delighted.”
UEFA Under-16 Development Tournament - Results
29/4: Israel 1-2 Republic of Ireland, Shefayim
1/5: Fiji 0-3 Republic of Ireland, Shefayim
UEFA Under-16 Development Tournament - Fixtures
3/5: Republic of Ireland v Ukraine, Shefayim, 9.30am (7.30am Irish time)
Goalkeepers: Josh Keeley (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Daniel Rose (Everton),
Defenders: Kailin Barlow (Sligo Rovers), Fionnan Coyle (Finn Harps), Oisin Hand (Shamrock Rovers), Gavin O'Brien (Bohemians), Kevin Platon (Shamrock Rovers), Daragh Reilly (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Adam Wells (Shamrock Rovers)
Midfielders: Colin Conroy (Bohemians), Oran Crowe (Cork City), Jamie Doyle (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Kyle Martin-Conway (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Ben McCormack (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Andrew Moran (Bray Wanderers), Glory Nzingo (St. Patrick’s Athletic)
Forwards: Sinclair Armstrong (Shamrock Rovers), Evan Ferguson (Bohemians), Calum Kavanagh (Middlesbrough), Robbie Mahon (Bohemians)