FAI: REPORT | MU17 | Ireland draw a blank against Iceland

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The stalemate means Ireland require at least a draw against Switzerland on Tuesday to guarantee qualification to the Elite Round.
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Colin O’Brien’s side could have won it late on when Mason Melia’s effort bounced off the underside of the bar in the 93rd*minute as Iceland held out.
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A win would have guaranteed Ireland’s place in the next phase of qualifiers but the Swiss sit on top of Group 10 with six points with Ireland in second*on four points and a goal difference of plus four.
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Confidence was high among Ireland having dispatched Armenia 4-0 in Fermoy on Wednesday and they were looking for maximum points out of their opening two games.
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The game started as an even affair with Iceland’s game plan to hit Ireland on the counter attack. It would be 13 minutes in before the first clear-cut chance when Jaden Umeh raced down the right and tried to apply the finish however it was hooked off the line as Iceland lived dangerously.
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Iceland could have taken the lead on the half-hour mark, Daniel Ingi Johannesson broke down the right wing before squaring it across the box, it fell to Tómas Johannesson who lacked composure and blazed it into The Shed.
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The best chance of the half fell to Melia. Harry McGlinchey played through a ball that had Melia through on goal, his lobbed effort beat the keeper but could only find the roof of the net.
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In the second half it was Ireland who had the first opportunity of significance, the pace of Umeh saw him leave his defender behind and he struck a low effort that was blocked by Jon Solvi Simonarson in the Icelandic goal.
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Ireland had a strong shout for a penalty turned down with 15 minutes to go when Melia went through one-on-one and appeared to be taken out by the recovering Solvi Stefansson but the referee waved away the appeals.
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Still the Young Boys in Green poured forward and in the final moments Melia engineered space for himself and hit a drive that beat Simonarson but cannoned off the bar and away.
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Ireland return to Turner’s Cross where the two teams in the qualification spots go head-to-head in an afternoon kick-off.
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Ireland:*Collins, Harnett, Cailloce, Roche, McGlinchey, Moore, McAndrew (O’Donnell, 74), McDonnell (Finneran, 60’), Fitzgerald (Murray 60’), Melia, Umeh
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Iceland:*Simonarson, Hallsson, S. Stefansson (C), Sigurdsson, E, Arnarsson, Hllynsson, Pordarsson, D. Johannesson, Dadason (Olsen, 84), T. Johannesson, T. Arnarsson (Begmann, 78’)
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Referee:*Dario Bel (Croatia)
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UEFA European Under-17 Championship *Qualifiers/Results
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Wednesday, October 11 |*Ireland MU17 4-0 Armenia MU17
Saturday, October 14 | Ireland MU17 0-0 Iceland MJ17
Tuesday, October 17 | Ireland MU17 v Switzerland MU17, Turner’s Cross, Cork, KO 2pm
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Ireland Category:
Under 21 Mens


Choose Site:
Ireland


Match Preview / Report:
Match Report


Introduction:
Ireland Men’s Under-17s were held to a 0-0 draw with Iceland in their second UEFA European Under-17s Championship qualifier in Cork.




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