Sam Curtis strikes late as Ireland under-21s secure vital win over Türkiye in Istanbul

Sam Curtis proved decisive for the Ireland under-21 side once more, scoring the only goal in the 83rd minute to earn a crucial 1-0 victory over Türkiye in their European Championship qualifying match in Istanbul.

The defender’s composed finish came from a well-timed pass by captain Joe Hodge, sealing three points in a hard-fought contest.

The victory boosts Ireland's qualification hopes as they now turn their attention to Latvia for their next match in Dublin, aiming to secure consecutive wins in the group.

Manager Jim Crawford expressed his delight after the match, hailing the result as a significant achievement.

“I’m thrilled for the staff and the players. To win any international game is a big moment but to come away from home against a really good Turkish team, to keep a clean sheet and win, it’s fantastic for the boys,”Crawford said.

He also pointed to the importance of the upcoming clash with Latvia, calling it "probably the biggest game in under-21s history."

The match saw Ireland hold firm against Turkish pressure, with goalkeeper Josh Keeley called into action early on, making a smart save to deny the hosts after just 13 minutes.

Türkiye looked threatening down the wings, but Curtis and his fellow defenders were up to the task, while Sinclair Armstrong caused problems for the Turkish defence with his pace.

Armstrong's efforts nearly paid off in the first half when he was pulled down by Turkish captain Serdar Saatçi, earning the defender a booking. Ireland created chances from the resulting set-piece, but Armstrong couldn’t find the target with his header.

Both teams had penalty appeals waved away before half-time, with the game finely balanced. Ireland came close again in the second half when Andrew Moran set up Aidomo Emakhu, but the Millwall striker’s shot narrowly missed the post.

With 20 minutes left, it looked like Ireland had taken the lead when Sean Roughan fired in a deflected effort, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

However, Curtis would ensure there was no doubt about the result as he converted Hodge’s pass late on.

Türkiye piled on the pressure in the final moments, but Ireland’s defence held firm, securing a valuable clean sheet and a crucial away win.

Türkiye: Biligin, Yildiz, Altikardes (Altunbas, 80), Saatci (C) (Güreler, 64), Ozcan, Konak (Akman, 71), Baltaci, Çanak (ince, 71), Elmaz, Burcu (Önal, 62), Hekimoglu.

Ireland: Keeley, Curtis, Abankwah, O’Riordan, Garcia-MacNulty, Roughan, Healy, Hodge, Moran, Emakhu (Adeeko, 68), Armstrong (O’Mahony, 77)

Referee: Amine Kourgheli (Belarus)