Ireland U17s vs Italy

Currently 1-0 at half time. Gareth Matthews with the goal.

Kieron Thorp - Crystal Palace
Gareth Matthews - Norwich City
Mark Nolan - Glasgow Celtic
David Joyce - Birmingham City - Captain
Paul Honohan - Wilton, Cork
Kurtis Byrne - Norwich City
Conor McCormack - Manchester United
James McCarthy - Hamilton Academical
Shane O'Connor - Liverpool
Craig Duggan - Kilreen, Cork
Sean Scannell - Crystal Palace

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Currently 1-0 at half time. Gareth Matthews with the goal.

Kieron Thorp - Crystal Palace
Gareth Matthews - Norwich City
Mark Nolan - Glasgow Celtic
David Joyce - Birmingham City - Captain
Paul Honohan - Wilton, Cork
Kurtis Byrne - Norwich City
Conor McCormack - Manchester United
James McCarthy - Hamilton Academical
Shane O'Connor - Liverpool
Craig Duggan - Kilreen, Cork
Sean Scannell - Crystal Palace

What was the final score??

Finished 1-0

The future if our national football team can't be too bad if we're beating Italy at U17 level.

hate to ask - but how did young mcCarthy do?was any1 at it? any sign of fulfilling the hype?

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

hate to ask - but how did young mcCarthy do?was any1 at it? any sign of fulfilling the hype?

someone has already commented on his performance in the "Jamie McCarthy" thread.

Conor McCormack - Manchester United

where is the fella from?

Originally Posted by Irish_Praha

someone has already commented on his performance in the "Jamie McCarthy" thread.

thanks

Originally Posted by gspain

The future if our national football team can't be too bad if we're beating Italy at U17 level.

We've a solid record against Italy at underage level, didn't we beat them in some qualifying series recently to top the group?

U-19s and U-17s, I think.

We've a very good record at U-17 and U-19 level. It all falls apart by U-21 and senior level...

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

U-19s and U-17s, I think.

We've a very good record at U-17 and U-19 level. It all falls apart by U-21 and senior level...

Can't imagine why.....

Originally Posted by Dr. Ogba

Can't imagine why.....

Shh! You are not allowed to criticize the inexplicably diabolical record of that particular person, whose name I will only reveal as rhyming with Dumb Gibbons, on the internet. The FAI thought police are at large.

Givens is a rubbish manager who should be sacked.

Was at the game last night, almost frozen solid at the end of it!

On a cold night in Drumcondra, the Irish U-17's were evntually beaten by a well organised, and physical Italian side.
The Boys in Green had the majority of the opening play, buoyed by their win on Tuesday night. However, they were up against a well drilled Italian defence, who gave the front two of Daly and Scannell very little space to work in. In contrast to this, the Azzurri did seem content to let the Irish play the ball in their own half without putting up much of a fight.
The majority of the Italian play came through the middle, whereas Ireland seemed to make most of their chances on the wings. The right full, Kavanagh, in particular caught the eye with some runs and crosses on the overlap.
Daly and Scannell did fashion the best chance for either side in the first half when Daly played a nice ball through to Scannell on the inside right channel. Daly was playing the target man role, with Scannell as the out and out striker. The Italians best chance at that point had come minutes earlier with a free header on the near post from a corner that went into the stand behind the goals. The first half finished 0-0, which neither team could complain about. The Irish had the majority of the possession, but could not break down the Italian's rearguard.
Daly played a lot deeper in the second half, and does seem to have (cliché alert) a good touch for a big man with some nice dribbling skills and an eye for a pass.
The amount of substitutions in the second half made the game slightly ragged, and allowed the Italians more time and space in the Irish half, which inevitably led to goals. The first coming from a rebound after a fine save from McGuire when the Italians had broke through on the right side of central defence, the second from a free kick on the edge of the penalty area.
Kilreen's Mark McGinley had just come on before the free kick, and concededing so early after coming on seemed to knock some of the confidence out of him, the majority of his kick outs following this went out for Italian throws. At this point the game was all but over and the Italians reverted to their earlier tactics of pressurising the Irish in their own half, while letting them pass the ball around in front of their own penalty area.
Ireland's best chance of the game came late in the second half with a header from Joe O'Neill that went straight at the Italian keeper from about 4 yards out.
The Italians did deserve their win, but slightly spoiled it (IMO anyway) with some theatrics when injured. When they got tackled and went down, they stayed down, the physio being called from the bench on at least 5 occasions. One player in particular about 2/3 of the way through the second half stayed on the deck while play continued around him, clutching his face and eventually got up when nothing was awarded. Tragic to see at this level.
Also the ref didn't have a great game, as was very particular about where free's were to be taken, often ordering players to move the ball a foot to the left or right until he was happy.

Spoke to a mate of mine in Limerick who's the only Crystal Palace fan I know in Ireland, after the game about the striker Scannell. His younger brother is on the books at Selhurst Park as well.

Cheers for the recap tets.

A win and a loss against Italy isn't bad, and by the sounds of it we were competitive in this loss which is good to hear.

Originally Posted by John83

Shh! You are not allowed to criticize the inexplicably diabolical record of that particular person, whose name I will only reveal as rhyming with Dumb Gibbons, on the internet. The FAI thought police are at large.

Its nothing to do with him. we've always had a rubbihs u21 team. can't remember us finishing in the top 2 in any qualifying group.

Originally Posted by Dodge

Its nothing to do with him. we've always had a rubbish u21 team. can't remember us finishing in the top 2 in any qualifying group.

Maybe not, but each group of players have a solid record of qualifying at underage (U-17, U-19, Youth) levels until the reach the U-21s. The U-21s from the European U-21 qualifying series had qualified for every tournament they had been eligible for until they failed to qualify for the championships.

Originally Posted by irishfan86

Cheers for the recap tets.

A win and a loss against Italy isn't bad, and by the sounds of it we were competitive in this loss which is good to hear.

No problem, for all the talk of the lack of impact of Jamie McCarthy on Tuesday night, I did think the best of the Italian play on thursday came through the middle of the park, which is where he was playing on tuesday.

Might be coincidental, might not be.

Thanks that's a great report. It's seems we were beaten on the physical side as opposed to the technical which is positive.

Originally Posted by Dodge

Its nothing to do with him. we've always had a rubbihs u21 team. can't remember us finishing in the top 2 in any qualifying group.

Yes we had Maurice Setters beforehand remember.

I wonder if Kerr had got the U21 job instead of the senior job would he really have made a job of them.