Under 19s in European Championship qualifiers ino

As always, the finest match reporting copied carefully from elevenaside.com

Next games against San Marino on Saturday and Lithuania on Monday.

I would be most happy to cover the rest of the matches myself if anyone want to pay the travel costs. Any takers?????

ACTION Irish grab last minute equaliser

Ireland U-19s 1-1 Bulgaria U19s
Bulgaria’s bully boy tactics did not work on Sean McCaffrey’s Under-19 side in San Marino on Thursday afternoon in the European championship qualifiers as Spurs striker Mark Yeates scored an injury equaliser to give the Irish a share of the spoils.

It was no more that the Irish deserved as Bulgaria’s rough house tactics towards the game resulted in one sending off and five bookings for the East European side.

Yeates goal was that of sheer class as he controlled and fired home a Willie Flood cross right at the end and just when it looked the Irish were about to lose their opening match, but the draw has given them a great chance of topping the group.

Bulgaria had Mustapha sent-off when he failed to retreat from a Flood free-kick with the match deep in stoppage time after they had taken the lead in the 23rd minute when Hristo Zlantinski scored from 25 yards.

After taking the lead, the Bulgarians seemed content to sit back and let the Irish attack, which they did but although they had numerous chances they had to wait until injury time until the breakthrough was made.

Ireland now face hosts San Marino on Saturday, while they play their last match against Lithuania on Monday. If they can win their two remaining matches by a bigger margin than the Bulgarians, McCaffrey’s side qualify for the next phase of matches.

Team: Murphy (Leicester City); O’Mahony (Limerick), McStay (Leeds United), Deans (Derby County), Fullerton (Livingstone); Flood (Manchester City), Yeates (Tottenham Hotspur), Cregg (Arsenal), Foley-Sheridan (Aston Villa); Quigley (Millwall), Ward (Bohemians). Subs: O’Brien (Newcastle United) for Ward (45 mins), Mulligan (Wolverhampton Wanderers) for Quigley (66 mins).


elevenaside.com

Well, folks, a great result for the boys in green. I don't care that it wasn't on the box, or that it was not covered really by the media, or that it was a minor nation, it was still ten goals!! You have to go back Malta years ago for eight, but ten!!

Roll on Lithuania!

From elevenaside.com, of course


ACTION History makers hit ten

Rep of Ireland 10-1 San Marino
Sean McCaffrey’s Republic of Ireland under-19s made Irish international soccer history on Saturday, September 20, by scoring a record number of goals in a single game against besieged San Marino in their European Championships qualifier.

Sean McCaffrey’s Republic of Ireland under-19s made Irish international soccer history on Saturday, September 20, by scoring a record number of goals in a single game against besieged San Marino in their European under-19 Championships qualifier.

Ireland are now well on course to qualify for the second phase of qualifiers, and a win against Lithuania on Monday will guarantee they progress.

The Irish were rampant on Saturday with Mark Yeates, Karl Bermingham and substitute Stephen Ward bagging a brace each. Willo Flood, Henry McStay, Mark Quigley and an own goal rounded off Ireland’s scoring spree in a one-sided clash.

Yeates and Bermingham opened the scoring for Ireland in the first 15 minutes and by the half hour mark, Yeates scored his second directly from a corner. Flood made it 4-0 soon after before the home side scored their only goal of the game after some sloppy Irish defending.

McStay’s penalty made it 5-1 and a San Marino own goal extended Ireland’s lead. Bermingham was next up for his second, before a Quigley penalty and two late goals by Ward.

Ireland: Murphy (Leicester City), Flynn (Wolves), Deans (Derby County), McStay (Leeds United), McShane (Manchester United), Flood (Manchester City), O’Leary (Luton Town), Foley-Sheridan (Aston Villa), O’Brien (Newcastle United),

Bermingham (Manchester City), Yeates (Tottenham Hotspur). Subs: Cregg (Arsenal) for Foley-Sheridan, Ward (Bohemians) for Flood, Quigley (Millwall) for Yeates.


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That Yeates is supposed to be absolutley class, if only Hoddle hadn't gone striker mad over the summer he might have already made his club debut by now.

Qualified!!!

At least one Irish team is firmly on course for going to the European Championships still (hopefully anotherone next month).

Good to see Stephen Ward on the scoresheet. He looked good against Norway earlier in the year. Looks like Yeates and McStay pleyed well too.

As always, stolen from elevenaside.com though my offer to report from wherever the next round is if travel is paid is still open :p


ACTION Irish secure top spot

Ireland U-19 2-1 Lithuania U-19
Republic of Ireland Under-19’s qualified for the next phase of the European Championship qualifiers with a hard earned victory over Lithuania in San Marino on Monday evening.

Leeds United’s Henry McStay and Bohemians’ Stephen Ward grabbed the all important goals to ensure the Irish topped the group having drawn with Bulgaria and beaten San Marino 10-1 in the last few days.

Ireland took the lead in the 14th minute when McStay first saw his header from a Mark Yeates cross come back off the crossbar and defender Christopher Dean head back towards McStay who made no mistake the second time.

Lithuania equalised when a back pass from McStay put goalkeeper Paul Murphy under pressure and the ball ended up at the feet of Kestutis Jvaskevicius who fired home to level matters after 31 minutes.

Ireland were then boosted by the harsh sending off of Ziluynas Banys in the 59th minute, but the Lithuanian’s sat back and the Irish found it hard to breakthrough, until Ward popped up in injury time.

www.elevenaside.com

We're in group 7. Possibly a very tough group ahead - according to elevenaside, we've drawn the following:

Winner from Gp 6: Ireland :) :)
Winner from Gp 3: (Italy, Belgium, Georgia, Estonia, playing in Estonia)
Runner up from Gp 2: (Poland, Norway, Latvia, Cyprus, playing in Poland)
Runner up from Gp 9: (Austria, Serbia & Montenegro, Sweden, Kazakhstan, playing in Sweden, I think)

All the above groups will complete their group fixtures on October 12th, with the first group games on teh 8th and the second on the 10th

The next round will be sometime in 2004 (between Jan 1st and May 31st according to helpful uefa.com, venue still TBC (any chance Ireland???)
Fingers crossed.