Kerr optimistic under-19s can qualify for Norway
By Bill George
IRELAND’S team manager Brian Kerr was yesterday like a traffic cop on point duty as he waved players in and out of Ireland’s squad preparing for tomorrow’s European Championship under-19 play-off against The Netherlands at Turner’s Cross tomorrow (7.30pm). Out of the Irish squad went goalkeeper Wayne Henderson (Aston Villa) and midfielder Keith Graydon (Sunderland) while in came Paul Keegan (Leeds United) and, surprisingly, Reinier Moor (Exeter City).
The Dutch opened their preparations in Cork without three of their major players. Ruled out with injury was Ajax playmaker Van Der Vaart, and the Feyenoord pair of Glenn Loovens and Robin van Persie.
Loovens and Van Persie were in the Feyenoord team that beat Inter Milan in Milan last week in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-finals. Efforts by the KNVB — the Dutch national association — to secure their release for this play-off failed as Feyenoord insisted on keeping them for Thursday’s UEFA Cup second leg in Rotterdam.
This is a blow to the visitors as they trail 1-2 from the first leg match in Rotterdam on March 20. Ireland will qualify for the finals of this particular championship in Norway in July if they withstand Netherlands’ attempts to overturn this result in Cork.
Manager Kerr succeeded in guiding Ireland to overall victory in this championship in 1998. In that Irish squad were current senior internationals Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne as well as John O’Shea and Jim Goodwin.
Kerr is optimistic that the current squad can go through this qualifier to reach the final eight in Norway but he warned: “Holland have some very good players and they will be dangerous opponents.”
The movement of players yesterday was calculated to put Kerr’s head into a spin. Henderson was given leave of absence for 24 hours while he is playing for Villa in a semi-final of the FA Youths’ Cup against Barnsley tonight. Graydon was a late withdrawal due to injury.
Henderson is a member of the Dublin dynasty of goalkeepers, and son of the former Shamrock Rovers star and inter-league goalkeeper Paddy Henderson.
Villa lead Barnsley 3-1 from the first leg of the semi-final and are odds on to go through from the second leg to meet Everton in the final. And young Wayne will fly into Cork tomorrow to act as back-up for Ireland’s first-choice goalkeeper, Brian Murphy (Manchester City).
Graydon’s withdrawal brought to six the number of players Kerr could not call upon for this tie because of injury. Paul Keegan is a direct replacement for midfielder Graydon and the manager was delighted to learn of the availability of centre-forward Reinier Moor.
“He underwent a cartilage operation just two weeks ago so he missed the match in Rotterdam. But Exeter promised me they would do everything they could to get him ready for the second leg. They were true to their word because they arranged for him to play a practise game last week and he was given the all-clear afterwards by his surgeon.
“He took a full part in training with us today and is ready to play if we need him. Exeter say he was fit after just 10 days and that is the quickest recovery from cartilage operation that I have heard of.”
Moor is a Dubliner with Belgian connections. He played for Crumlin United before he transferred to Exeter two years ago and he is a very live candidate to win a place as partner to Stockport County hot-shot Jonathan Daly, up front.
The match has captured the attention of the football public for MFA chairman Tony Fitzgerald announced yesterday that all tickets were sold. Cash will not be accepted at the turnstiles and road blocks will be in operation to allow access only to ticket-holders.
“The fans enjoyed the performances of this team when they played Croatia, Austria and Latvia in Cork and Cobh in November,” said Mr Fitzgerald. “They feel they contributed to Ireland’s winning performances then. Just like Brian Kerr and his lads, they want to see this through to a successful conclusion now.”
