Mason Melia's hat-trick powers Ireland Under-17s to dominant 4-0 victory over Armenia
Mason Melia celebrates his goal Credit: Matthew Lysaght (ETPhotos)
In a super start to their UEFA European Under-17 Championship Qualifiers campaign, the Ireland Men's Under-17 team clinched an impressive 4-0 win against Armenia.
Mason Melia emerged as the star of the match, notching a brilliant hat-trick for the Irish side.
Complementing Melia's standout performance, Jaden Umeh also found the back of the net with a splendid strike.
The Boys in Green might have added even more to the tally against Armenia's 10-man squad, which demonstrated resilience throughout the match.
Initially scheduled to be held at Turner's Cross in Cork, a late pitch inspection saw the match shifted to Carrig Park, the home of Fermoy FC resulting in a kick-off delay of an hour.
From the start, the young Irish side showcased their intent.
Umeh, inspired by his older brother Franco's earlier performance for the Irish Men's Under-19s, came close to scoring, only to be thwarted by Armenia's goalkeeper, Artem Davydov.
Not long after, Mason Melia expertly capitalized on a cross from Ike Orazi, putting Ireland on the scoreboard.
The Irish side maintained their momentum, keeping the Armenian defense on its toes and earning a slew of free-kicks in key positions.
Umeh's stellar effort from inside the area saw Ireland double their lead.
After the break, both teams continued to press, with Umeh and Armenia's Emil Papikyan having their moments.
However, Armenia's chances of a comeback dwindled when their captain, Karen Hovakimyan, received his second yellow card, reducing their side to 10 men.
Seizing the advantage, Ireland added two more goals, with Melia scoring both, capping off his exceptional individual performance.
Looking ahead, coach Colin O’Brien and the squad now gear up to face Iceland, who will be eager to turn things around after a 3-0 defeat to Switzerland.
Ireland: Joe Collins, Kaylem Harnett, Luca Cailloce, James Roche, Harry McGlinchey, Luke O’Donnell (Rory Finneran, 68’), Matthew Moore (Niall McAndrew, 89’), Aaron Ochoa Moloney (William Martin, 68’), Ike Orazi (Matthew Murray, 78’), Jaden Umeh (Kyle Fitzgerald, 68’), Mason Melia
Armenia: Artem Davydov, Sergey Harutyunyan (Andranik Hakobyan, 64’), Vahe Karepetyan, Gagik Meloyan (Mayis Khachatryan, 83’), Davit Harutyunyan, Henzel Baghoyan (Aram Aharonyan, 57’), Karen Hovakimyan, Emil Papikyan (Arame Minasyan, 64’), Harutyun Musikyan, Aleks Galstyan (Anri Minasov, 64’), Gary Grigoryan
