Ireland U17's secured an impressive 4-1 victory over hosts Macedonia in the second game of their UEFA Championships qualifying group in Skopje today.
Tom Mohan's side produced a disciplined and composed performance to move top of Group Ten on goal difference ahead of Sweden, who beat Romania 2-1 in the other game in the group.
Jack Byrne was the Irish hero with a hat-trick - including two first half penalties - with Dan Cleary netting a second half goal. Tauljant Sulejmanov was the Macedonian goal-scorer with a 44th minute penalty.
The opening penalty came in the 22nd minute when Eoghan Stokes was taken down by goalkeeper Nikola Aleksovski and Byrne stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way from the spot-kick.
Byrne then added a second from the spot after Lazar Stojkovski handled a Jake Mulraney cross in the 35th minute and once again Byrne converted with aplomb.
The Irish missed a number of chances before handing the hosts a lifeline when they conceded a penalty four minutes into the second half. Sulejmanov firing home from the spot.
Mohan's side weathered a Macedonia storm with Real Madrid youngster Dorian Babunski the focus of the home side's attacks and Cleary calmed the Irish nerves when he headed home from a Mulraney corner in the 63rd minute.
Byrne's brilliant display was rounded up in the last minute when he volleyed home from the edge of the box.
"It was an outstanding individual display by Jack but overall the performance from the whole team was very pleasing," said Mohan.
"The heat was testing but the boys stood up well to the challenge and we created a lot of chances with some very good play. We didn't take enough of those chances and let Macedonia back into it so I was pleased we finished strongly.
"The midfield was very good with Cody Mulhall doing well but overall I felt it was a good team performance.
"We have Romania now on Thursday so we have to look to that. This game is done and dusted and has put us in a good position to qualify for the elite phase but the work isn't finished yet."
IRELAND: Peter Burke; Robin Dempsey, Dan Cleary, Noe Baba (C), Bobby Moseley, Craig Donnellan, Dean O'Halloran, Cody Mulhall, Jack Byrne, Eoghan Stokes (Cory Galvin 61), Jake Mulraney (Stephen Confrey 73).
A last minute goal from County Down’s Paul George gave Ireland U17’s a share of the points in their 2-2 European Elite stage qualifying opener against Denmark in Greece this afternoon.
John Morling’s Ireland team took the lead thanks to Arsenal’s Philip Roberts who slotted home after a period of Danish pressure. The Danes equalised just before half time and looked like they had secured the three points when Zohore scored with only two minutes of normal time left.
However with less than a minute remaining of added time, Celtic ‘bhoy’ Paul George equalised for ‘The boys In Green’ to keep us well in contention going into Friday’s difficult clash against hosts Greece, who defeated Latvia 2-0 in their opener today.
IRELAND – Joe Coll (Manchester United), Colm Horgan (Salthill Devon), Tommie Hoban (Watford), Steven Smith (Arsenal), Sean Kavanagh (Belvedere), Kealan Dillon (Derby County), Darragh Lenihan (Belvedere), Luke Gallagher (Cherry Orchard), Kenny McEvoy (Tottenham Hotspur), Philip Roberts (Arsenal), Sam Byrne (St. Josephs Boys).
Substitutes: Ian Lawlor (Manchester City), Paul George (Celtic), John Kavanagh (Ringmahon Rangers), Pierce Sweeney (Belvedere), Michael Hyland (Southend), Bradley Garmston (West Brom), James Murphy (Reading).
The Ireland Under-17 team started their UEFA Championship first phase qualifying campaign with a win yesterday after beating Malta at the Centenary Stadium, Ta'Quli.
Ireland are competing with mini-groups hosts Malta, Albania and Norway for the two qualifying places into the elite phase of the competition which are due to take place in the new year.
Yesterday's victory, the first match under the management of John Morling, was never in doubt once James Murphy fired Ireland ahead on twelve minutes.
Mikey Drennan had headed over and Jamie Smith had his header saved during a two minute period prior to the breakthrough goal but Reading striker Murphy made no mistake after Colm Horgan and Philip Roberts had combined to release the forward.
Ireland continued to press and Roberts was inches from netting a great individual goal after he got past three defenders and struck the post with a shot.
Murphy then saw his effort cleared off the line as Ireland finished the first half the stronger.
The pattern of the game remained the same following the restart with the Irish peppering Malta's goal. Darragh Lenihan was denied by the goalkeeper on 51 minutes but there was nothing the custodian could do about Drennan's shot on 66 minutes which made it 2-0.
The goal arrived from a free-kick awarded for a lunge by Samir Arab on Ireland winger Kenny McEvoy which earned the Maltese defender his second booking of the contest.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Malta then enjoyed their best period of the game and Muscat's expertly taken free-kick swept past Joe Coll on 72 minutes to reduce the arrears.
Ireland never looked like conceding again, though, and after Kealan Dillon's shot rebounded off the post, the same player made the game safe eleven minutes from time with a strong strike following some superb build-up play.UEFA Under-17 first phase qualifying result
Malta 1-3 Ireland
Muscat 72 James Murphy 12
Mikey Drennan 66
Kealan Dillon 79
Ireland Under-17 manager Sean McCaffrey has announced a squad of 18 players to participate in the upcoming eight-nation friendly tournament in Hungary from August 4-7.
McCaffrey and his panel will fly to Budapest on Monday to prepare for the opening fixture two days later, August 4, against Croatia in Telki (17.00 hrs).
Ireland Under-17 Squad
Joe Coll - Manchester United
Ian Lawlor - Manchester City
Sean Kavanagh - Belvedere
Luke Gallagher - Cherry Orchard
Pierce Sweeney - Belvedere
Joe O'Brien - Salthill Devon
Steven Smith - Arsenal
Tommy Hoban - Watford
Conor Pepper - Portmarnock
Kenneth McEvoy - Tottenham Hotspur
Gareth Brady - Belvedere
Kealan Dillon - Derby County
Darragh Lenihan - Belvedere
Jack Grealish - Aston Villa
Carel TioFack - Ipswich Town
James Murphy - Reading
Philip Roberts - Arsenal
Sam Byrne - St Joseph's Boys
Ireland u17 international Sean McDermott has signed professional papers with Arsenal this week. McDermott, who moved to Arsenal from IK Vaag last summer, featured in Vincent Butler’s u15 & u16 sides before moving up to Sean McCaffrey’s u 17 squad and played in Ireland's UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying campaign in March.
McDermott who is Norwegian-born, qualifies for Ireland via his Donegal born father, thus keeping the very strong connection between County Donegal and Irish goalkeepers, past and present, very much alive.
Official Arsenal FC statement:
Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce young goalkeeper Sean McDermott has signed his first professional contract with the Club.
McDermott (17) was a regular in Steve Bould's Under-18s goal last season, making 12 appearances to help the team finish top of the FA Academy League Under-18 table.
Everyone at the Club is looking forward to the continued contribution and development of Sean with Arsenal in the forthcoming years.
Kevin Knight's superb second-half winner against Finland yesterday got Ireland's UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying hopes back on course.
Two days after Ireland opened their elite group campaign by losing 3-0 by mini-groups hosts Greece, their win - coupled with draws in two other matches - has resurrected their prospects of reaching the finals in May to be hosted by Liechtenstein.
Sean McCaffrey's Ireland side go into Wednesday's final series of matches with a decent chance to finish top and claim the sole automatic berth in the finals.
They will need to beat Austria and hope that Greece are denied victory by Finland in the other game being played simultaneously.
Ireland's starting line-up showed five changes to the side which lost on Friday and one of the newcomers, Sean Murray, was a constant threat to Finland on the right wing in the first half.
On six minutes, he dribbled down the flank and picked out Daniel Purdy in the centre with a cross. Purdy looked poised to slot home but had his shot blocked by an outstretched leg of a Finnish defender.
Tim Vayrynen tested Ireland goalkeeper Sean McDermott with an effort shot on 11 minutes but it was Ireland who carried by far the greater threat up front.
Kevin Knight saw his 15th minute header kept out while Aiden O'Brien caused havoc in the Finland box after his raiding run was brought to an end by a last-gasp clearance.
Ireland captain Sean McGinty, meanwhile, showed great awareness as the break approached to foil the Finland strikeforce when an inviting free-kick from the right floated towards the back post.
The second half saw the Irish take a tighter grip on proceedings, with Shane Byrne and Frankie Sutherland pulling the strings in midfield and Knight having the better of his marker on the left wing.
Knight set up Purdy to shoot on 53 minutes but the close-range shot was parried by Ville Kauppinen in the Finland goal.
The goal deservedly came a minute later - Knight wriggling free in the box to execute a bicycle-kick volley beyond the helpless goalkeeper.
Ireland were well on top and carved out more openings through Knight and Frankie Sutherland but Kauppinen in the Finland goal was equal to both efforts.
Finland did press during the last ten minutes but the Irish defence, marshaled superbly by McGinty, held firm to seal a vital victory.
Ireland manager Sean McCaffrey gave his assessment of the display:
"The team performed much better today by showing energy, conviction and heart.
"After Friday's weak display against Greece, I am happy that the players showed what they can do.
"I thought we defended well and created good chances. We started confidently and closed down the Finns - especially in midfield - who worked very hard, and when the goal came, Kevin Knight's finish was fantastic.
"The Finns were strong and had some great chances, especially in the second half but I thought we dealt with them well.
"A lot of that was down to Sean McGinty. He was immense as captain today, with his drive and leadership an inspiration to the entire squad."
Match-winner Kevin Knight said: "This was a real boost after losing to Greece on Friday. Our chances have gone up a lot now even though Greece still have a slight advantage. We just have to win the next game and hope Greece drop points. I really needed the goal and the team needed it too."
Ireland: Sean McDermott (Arsenal); Michael Keane (Manchester United), Neil Yadolahi (Burnley), Sean McGinty (Manchester United), Carl McHugh (Reading); Sean Murray (Watford), Frankie Sutherland (QPR), Shane Byrne (Leicester City), Kevin Knight (Leicester City); Daniel Purdy (West Ham United), Aiden O'Brien (Millwall).
Subs: George Smith (Southend United) for Murray (63 mins), David Murphy (Reading) for O'Brien (69 mins), Michael Barker (Belvedere) for Purdy (78 mins).
Under-17 Friendly International
Ireland 2-0 Hungary
IRELAND: Sean McDermott (Arsenal); Michael Barker (Belvedere), Richard Bryan (Aston Villa), Sean McGinty (Manchester United), Carl McHugh (Reading); Daniel Purdy (West Ham United), Frankie Sutherland (QPR), Shane Byrne (Leicester City), Anton Rogers (Chelsea); David Murphy (Reading), George Smith (Southend United).
Substitutions: Neil Yadolahi (Burnley) for Barker and Kevin Knight (Leicester City) for G. Smith (both h/t), Callum Webb (Arsenal) for Rodgers (66 mins), Conor Smith (Watford) for Purdy (68 mins)
Ireland Under-17 side recorded a comfortable victory over Hungary at Tolka Park on Tuesday in the first of this week's double-header friendly.
Goals by Frankie Sutherland and Daniel Purdy gave the Irish a morale-booting result to put them in confident mood for next month's UEFA Championship elite phase qualifiers in Greece.
The shooting power of Sutherland was on show from as early as the eight minute when the Queen's Park Rangers midfielder unleashed a shot from 25 yards which sailed inches over the crossbar.
Seven minutes later, Hungary sensed an opening when the home defence retreated to allow Fejes have a pot at goal. His effort took a deflection off the outstretched leg of Irish captain Sean McGinty into the path of Laszlo Erdelyi but he sliced wide from a good position.
The Hungarians were beginning to carry the greater threat in attack and gave Ireland a couple of scares inside a minute. Bence Serfozo's effort only veered wide due to McGinty's intervention on 19 minutes and, from the resulting corner, Vecsei was unmarked at the back post but couldn't direct his header on target.
However, Ireland absorbed that pressure and took control for the remainder of the first half. On 23 minutes, they were awarded a penalty when striker David Murphy was bundled over by visiting goalkeeper David Haladas Dombo but the stopper redeemed himself by diving low to his right to keep out Daniel Purdy's spot-kick.
A minute after Ireland had an appeal for another penalty turned down as Sutherland went to ground, the midfielder fired the Irish ahead on 35 minutes.
Purdy was upended by Ferenc Toth in a central position on the edge of the area and Sutherland stepped up to curl the free-kick over the wall into the top corner past the despairing dive of Dombo.
Ireland manager Sean McCaffrey made two changes at the break, bringing on Neil Yadolahi and Kevin Knight for Michael Barker and George Smith.
Burnley full-back Yadolahi got himself in a spot of bother soon after his introduction when Patrik Vass dispossessed him on the left but the Hungarian captain was unable to match his darting run with the finish and his shot drifted past the far post.
Ireland continued to live dangerously and might have been punished for a poor clearance to the edge of the box on 55 minutes yet Laszlo Erdelyi hurried his shot which angled wide of the upright.
Irish goalkeeper Sean McDermott was called into action to save at the back post from Serfozo just past the hour but Ireland added their second on 66 minutes.
Right-winger Daniel Purdy played a one-two with David Murphy and cut into the box before firing across Dombo and into the bottom right corner.
Late on, Ireland came agonisingly close to making it 3-0 as substitute Conor Smith played in Murphy but the Reading forward couldn't keep his shot down.
