Ireland 1 - Ireland u23's 0

Anthony Stokes scored the only goal in last night's training match, to give Giovanni Trapattoni's senior Ireland training squad victory over the Ireland u23 team.

The Hibernian attacker fired home from 25 yards midway through the first-half after Cillian Sheridan raided down the left flank and cut the ball across the edge of the box into Stokes' path.

The Irish Under-23s were unlucky not to earn a draw as substitute Paddy Madden had the ball in the net 17 minutes from time but he was adjudged to have been offside when Gary McCabe sent him through on goal.

Trapattoni has said that most of the development players will also hang around for the double header of friendly internationals at the RDS next week.

Ireland Seniors: Westwood (Coventry City); McShane (Hull City), Duffy (Everton), O'Dea (Celtic), Cunningham (Manchester City); Stokes (Hibernian), Fahey (Birmingham City), Green (Derby County), Long (Reading); Sheridan (Celtic), Best (Newcastle United) . Subs: J. Murphy (Scunthorpe United) for Westwood (h/t), Lawrence (Stoke City) for Sheridan (58 mins.), Foley (Wolverhampton Wanderers) for Fahey (66 mins.).

Ireland Under-23s: Quigley (Sporting Fingal); Kelly (Dundalk), Browne (Sporting Fingal), Mulcahy (Cork City), Powell (Bohemians); Sheppard (Galway United), O'Donnell (Galway United), Finn (Sporting Fingal), Williams (Sporting Fingal), Dennehy (Shamrock Rovers); Faherty (St. Patrick's Athletic). Subs: Duggan (Shamrock Rovers) for Quigley, Bermingham (Shamrock Rovers) for Powell, Bolger (UCD) for Williams, Chambers (Shamrock Rovers) for Finn, Gaynor (Dundalk) for Sheppard, McCabe (Sligo Rovers) for Dennehy (all at half-time), Amond (Sligo Rovers) for Kelly and Madden (Bohemians) for Faherty (both 60 mins.).

Ireland U21 squad announced

Ireland under-21 manager Don Givens has named an 18-man squad for next month's European Championship qualifier in Tallinn against Estonia.

Histon's Lanre Oyebanjo, James McKeown of Peterborough United and Aston Villa's James Collins are included in the squad for the first time. Reading midfielder Scott Davies is also in line to make his debut for Ireland at this level.

Manager Don Givens is looking forward to the squad: 'Estonia are a good side, they work very hard and will make it difficult for us, especially since they are at home.

'They went to Switzerland earlier this month and won. I saw that match and I was impressed by them. It's a tricky fixture for us but I'm very happy with the squad I have.'


He added: 'A lot of the players are experienced at this level, having been regulars with the under-21s for some time now.

'We also have a few new faces in the squad, so I am looking forward to getting a close look at those players. This is a strong squad, one that is certainly capable of making an impact in the European Championship qualifiers.'

Ireland U21 Squad

Shane Redmond (Burton Albion), James McKeown (Peterborough United), Michael Spillane (Norwich City), Brendan Moloney (Notts County), Darren Dennehy (Hereford United), Shane Lowry (Aston Villa), Ian Bermingham (Shamrock Rovers), Lanre Oyebanjo (Histon), Stephen Gleeson (MK Dons), David Meyler (Sunderland), Owen Garvan (Ipswich Town), James McCarthy (Wigan Athletic), Alan Judge (Plymouth Argyle), Jay O'Shea (Birmingham City), Scott Davies (Reading), Cillian Sheridan (Plymouth Argyle), Sean Scannell (Crystal Palace) and James Collins (Aston Villa).

Sheridan to sit-out Celtic v Motherwell game

There will be no place for Cillian Sheridan in the Motherwell attack against Celtic on Sunday – the young Irishman is on loan from the club and cannot play against them – but that could work against the Parkhead side, according to Mark McGhee.

The Motherwell manager said: "To be truthful, if Cillian had been OK to turn out I would probably have played 4-4-2 with him and David Clarkson up front.

"But now I'll maybe leave Clarkson on his own and as a result we should be a bit stuffier. The fact that we can't play him might not help Celtic."

There is no official rule about loan players being prohibited from facing their main employers, but Scottish clubs observe a self-denying ordinance. "If Sheridan played against us it would be an awful lot of pressure on him," said Gordon Strachan, the Celtic manager.

"What if he got a penalty kick in the last minute and cost us points? Or what if he fouled in the Motherwell box and we got a last-minute winner from that?"

Strachan, though, believes that Motherwell pose considerable threat even without Sheridan. "They weren't doing well earlier in the season but that's because Mark had a lot of players missing from a small squad. Since they've come back you can see the difference in Motherwell's form – they're on a run now and we have to be very careful."

Sheridan looking to prove his worth

Cillian Sheridan added an Ireland U21 cap to a list of achievements from this season which included Champions League football and his debut SPL goal for Celtic.

But the County Cavan striker admits that he has a long way to go before he can find his way into Giovanni Trapattoni's senior squad at international level.

Sheridan, who played the full 90 minutes in Motherwell's 1-0 win over Hamilton today, after his loan move from Celtic, made his U21 debut in Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Germany in Cork and the 19-year-old played a role as Ireland came from a goal down and earned a creditable draw against a more experienced German side.

"The senior Ireland squad is a long way away for me even though I've had a decent run in the Celtic team this season and a bit of exposure with those games in the Champions League against Manchester United," says the Ulster man.

"There is so much competition up front with Ireland now, you have Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle as the established two up front. But then you have a lot of people who are fighting to get a run, lads like Shane Long and Noel Hunt, who have done very well for their clubs and played for Ireland already.

"There are also people who can't even get into the senior Ireland squad now, lads like Anthony Stokes, so up front there are a lot of people looking to play for Ireland and only two can start, so I know I am down the pecking order.

"But if I can prove myself to Mr Trapattoni at U21 level and get a few goals for my club, then he might take notice. But I know I have a lot of work to do.

"There is a chance there with Ireland. Trapattoni is in contact with Don Givens to know how the U21 players are doing and there are a lot of young players in the senior squad already.

"I think I need to take a step backwards so I can get forward and that's the case with my loan move to Motherwell.

"I need to go and prove that I can play on a weekly basis, because I've had such a bad run with injuries, and then go and do that for Celtic," added Sheridan, who was relieved to finally make his debut for the Irish U21s in that draw against Germany, over a year after he was first called into the U21 panel by Don Givens.

"It was nice to get the debut out of the way, good to have under my belt. I have been in the U21 squad for the last year or so but because of injuries I wasn't able to come over and play -- thankfully I've managed to do that now," he says. "I have missed a lot of football with Ireland due to all my injuries. I think the last time I played was with the U19s in Dublin last year, when we played Germany.

"So Tuesday in Cork was a good result for us. Germany are a good side, they have players with all the top clubs in Germany, their lads have played in the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup and most of our players don't have that experience."

Sheridan is now in his third season of first team football, having made his Celtic debut in March 2007, just two days after his 18th birthday. Last season was a write-off for the former Belvedere player as he managed just one appearance for Celtic due to injuries, but he emerged earlier this season due to a shortage of senior strikers at Parkhead, Sheridan making 16 first team appearances including two Champions League outings against Manchester United.

The return from injury of Strachan's crocked strikers has pushed Sheridan down the ladder so he's been sent out on loan to Mark McGhee's Motherwell to gain experience.

"It's a good move for me as it's a chance to get games, which I might not have been able to do at Celtic because the squad is so big," Sheridan says.

"I know I still have a future at Celtic and I think the staff there will be watching me at Motherwell. Hopefully I can have a good four months at Motherwell, score a few goals, have a good break over the summer and go back to Parkhead fresh for the new season."

Cillian Sheridan moves to Motherwell on loan

Motherwell have taken Ireland forward Cillian Sheridan on loan from Celtic until the end of the season.

Sheridan, 19, an Ireland youth international striker who played for Celtic in the Champions League this season, will remain with Motherwell for the remainder of the season.

The young County Cavan striker will bolster the Steelmen's frontline after the departure of top-scorer Chris Porter to Derby County.

has made 19 appearances this term, including two against Motherwell, scoring four goals.

The majority of his appearances have come from the bench however, with competition for places rife at Parkhead.

Georgios Samaras: It won't be long until Cillian Sheridan is first pick

Comeback man Georgios Samaras has hailed Irish hitkid Cillian Sheridan for his superb stand-in performances leading the line for Celtic.

The fit-again striker is set to push the Co. Cavan 19-year-old back on to the bench for Tuesday's Champions League crunch in Aalborg - but reckons it's only a matter of time before Sheridan is one of the first names on the team sheet.

Hoops boss Gordon Strachan was forced to throw his rookie in at the deep end for the Champions League doubleheader against Manchester United after an injury crisis robbed him of Samaras and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.

But the Irish kid took on the task brilliantly and went on to clock up a run of nine games including his starring role in the recent SPL victory over Kilmarnock when he scored a double.

During that time Samaras, who hurt his knee on international duty with Greece in October, was working behind the scenes to help the Parkhead prodigy with advice and encouragement.

And the 23-year-old admitted watching Sheridan emerge from the shadows to claim a first-team jersey was no surprise to those who train with him every day.

Georgios said: "Maybe people were surprised but I'm not. We worked together in pre-season and he has talent.

"He has the ability to be a striker for many years at Celtic. He's a natural and there's lots more to come from him.

"When you see a kid with his ability you are just waiting for him to explode.

"Now he has grabbed his chance he has a big future."

It's fair to say Samaras sees a lot of himself in Sheridan having made his first-team debut for Dutch side Heerenveen when he was just 17.

Perhaps that's why the Greek star has been so keen to work with him in training. Samaras said: "I was 16 when I went to Holland and after one year I played my first game so I know exactly how Cillian is feeling.

"That's why I try to help him. It's difficult when you are so young and start to play for the first team.

"You need somebody by your side who will try to help you.

That's important.

"So I have been talking to Cillian all the time in training, telling him when to ask for the ball, how to keep the ball, everything.

"We worked together during pre-season and when you see such a talented player all you can do is try to push him to do more and more. You do that because you can see he has the ability."

Cillian Sheridan being groomed for major role

Cillian Sheridan lacks nothing in terms of the physical attributes that could give him a fighting chance of carving out a fine Celtic career.

Experience is the only thing missing from his locker, although plenty would have been banked from a cameo performance against Manchester United this week in the Champions League.

Clearly, the young Irishman is being groomed for a major role by Gordon Strachan, given the public votes of confidence he has received.

As is the way with most young players with something that bit special, Sheridan is fuelled by a major desire to make it as a top-level striker.

He trusts his manager in the way he is handling his development, which Strachan says is about being careful not to push him too soon as there have been some problems with growing pains as he fills out his tall frame.

But there is always that straining on the leash, a trait many undaunted youngsters on the periphery of first-team life at the Old Firm have, and Sheridan wants to make his mark.

The current striking crisis that has hit Strachan, just as Celtic enter a hectic run of games in three competitions, may well see the door being opened for the 19-year-old, who has impressed everyone at the club with his attitude to work, and his understanding of what he has to put in to ensure his natural talent can be fulfilled.

Reflecting on events, he smiled: "I am really enjoying the step-up, and getting on up at Inverness last weekend and then again at Old Trafford was a fantastic experience for me.

"I'm still a young player and I have a lot to learn, but to be gaining that kind of experience against teams like Manchester United is great.

"Being involved in the first- team picture with so many top players here is really helping my game."

He added: "The training, the experience of being in the squads, the advice from the coaches and manager, it's all crucial and I try to learn as much as I can every day, and also when we are away like during this week down in Manchester.

"Like everyone, you want to play. I want to play for Celtic and score goals for the club, but there are top-class strikers here and I just need to wait for my chance.

"When that comes is down to the manager. It's unfortunate for Georgios Samaras, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Chris Killen, who have injuries right now.

"But I just need to keep myself prepared and be ready every time the manager needs me. That's what I'll be doing."

Sheridan, who appears to have that invaluable asset of genuine pace even though he's over six foot, embraces the concept that the modern striker has to have plenty in their armoury to cut it.

At Old Trafford he got a close glimpse of the very best; the touch, presence and grace of Dimitar Berbatov, and the sheer raw power, speed and class of Wayne Rooney.

These men are operating at the very top of the business, but Sheridan admits that working hard to improve himself is something he has to do.

In the build-up to the United match Strachan, quite rightly, spoke of how it would be unfair to throw the youngster in from the start, given he had only played in a handful of first-team matches so far.

He also highlighted how a step up to first team training levels for the first time, and the pressures that come with that physically, are the things Celtic are keeping an eye on.

"You see the top guys like Rooney and Berbatov the other night and they have everything in their game," Sheridan added.

"I watch a lot of strikers to try and learn things and, of course, try to pick up things from training and playing alongside Sami and big Jan here.

"I know that a lot of the game now is based on pace and power, so building myself up is something I will keep working on to improve."

Sheridan certainly carried no inhibitions into the Theatre of Dreams when he was pitched on for the final 15 minutes of Celtic's 3-0 defeat that leaves them heading towards a Uefa Cup battle with Aalborg unless they can glean a major points haul from the three group games they have left.

A couple of darting runs, and a real directness in his play certainly suggest that Strachan is right to have faith in the player.

It was a personal high for Sheridan to enter that kind of company, even if the result left him as disappointed as everyone else in the Celtic camp.

Reflecting on his Old Trafford experience, he smiled: "The manager just said to me try and score a goal'. That's my job as a striker, and I went on and tried to get forward when I could.

"There were a couple of things I felt I could have done better with, and a header I maybe should have got on target, but it was a good experience even if the result was a blow.

"We knew it would be tough against them, but it's the ultimate dream for young guys like me to play in these kind of matches.

"I would like to be involved in the return game, but we'll see what happens. We need to try and win the match when they come to Glasgow. But we have important games in the SPL and in the cup before that, so we'll be focusing on them."