Ireland Under-21s defiant despite qualification setback against Latvia

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Andrew Dempsey reports from Tallaght Stadium

Jim Crawford and his Ireland Under-21 side left Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday evening with plenty of regrets after drawing 2-2 against minnows Latvia.

But they struck a defiant tone post-match with qualification still in their hands.

Ireland took an early lead through Sinclair Armstrong before two goals either side of half-time from Kaspars Anmanis and Ivans Patrikejevs put Latvia ahead.

Sean Roughan, however, salvaged a point with a 65th minute equaliser.

The Boys in Green are currently two points clear of third-placed Norway in the battle for a play-off spot for next summer’s Under-21 European Championships.

Crawford’s young guns are also only four points behind Italy with a game in hand on the Azzurri.

A win over Norway next month at Turner’s Cross would secure a play-off, with a group decider and a shot at automatic qualification following against Italy in that case.



And despite the setback against Latvia on Tuesday evening, Crawford and his players stayed defiant in the face of adversity.

“We said to the players that Latvia were no mugs. They drew with Italy. They beat Turkey and they came here and you could say they did a job on us in terms of how they slowed the game down and got bodies behind the ball,” Crawford said.

“We still created chances but we had to be more clinical particularly when we were 1-0 up. It is about having a ruthless streak in those moments. We didn’t have that…

“But the positive is that it is still in our hands. We have Norway in Cork and we have Italy. When the draw was made all those months back, had you said, you would be two points ahead of Norway, and you could qualify with two games to go, you would have taken it.

“I believe in that group of players. Do I think we can win the group? I certainly do.

“We will have to produce a better showing against Norway.”



Tuesday’s draw was a disappointing result given Ireland’s 1-0 triumph over Turkey last Friday at Istanbul’s Esenler Stadium.

And midfielder Matt Healy - who was named RTE Player of the Match - bemoaned his side’s inability to get the job done and claim six points from six in this international window.

"We were in control of the game, we shouldn't have let them back in at all,” the former Cork City midfielder - now with Belgian second tier side Francs Borains. 

“I mean they had one chance in the first half and we handed it to them and they took it. so there's no way they should have scored but listen it's happened.

“It's a point, four points in this camp. two massive, massive games starting with Norway in Cork. “We have a good history down in Cork against big teams so we look forward to those two games and go for two wins.

“We have a great group of lads in there and we'll definitely bounce back from this. There is great character and personality in there and we'll all look forward to the next two games.”

While automatic qualification is still a possibility, the draw means another play-off looks like the more realistic scenario for the Boys in Green.

That will bring back memories of the agonising defeat to Israel over two legs in the last campaign - a tie in which defender Roughan featured in.

And the Lincoln City defender does not want to suffer the same fate of missing out on a trip to the finals again. 

“We were so close that time it went down to penalties,” 21-year-old Roughan said. “That feeling that we had, I don’t want to have it again.

“Playing for your country is probably the best thing you could ever do. You never know when it's going to end. You've just got to play your heart out for 90 minutes every chance you get or whatever it is. 

“If the manager trusts you to play, you've got to do all you can to be on the pitch and to play for Ireland because that's every kid's dream.”

 

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