Republic of Ireland 1 - 0 Ireland U23
Credit:
The Republic of Ireland have beaten their under 23 counterparts
one-nil after a hard fought match at Gannon Park. Anthony Stokes’
22nd minute goal was all that separated the sides in a game that was
lacking in chances but not in quality.
Paul Doolin’s men started brightly with Shaun Kelly sending a series of long balls into the box that tested Darren O’Dea and Shane Duffy. Billy Dennehy’s trickery on the left wing was causing Paul McShane some early problems as the Shamrock Rovers man showed good footwork and pace down the flank.
Kelly’s early crunching challenge on Shane Long showed Trap’s men that they weren’t in for an easy ride however the U23’s struggled in the early stages to contain the power and link up play of Leon Best.
After a quiet opening the senior side began to dominate the proceedings and they went close to breaking the deadlock in the tenth minute. Long found himself with time and space to pick out the run of Cillian Sheridan but his low cross was cleared by Dave Mulcahy, who read the danger well.
The Airtricity players were playing the better football and looked comfortable in possession. The middle pairing of Shaun Williams and Stephen O’Donnell rarely gave the ball away with the all-action Galway United midfielder rarely missing a challenge.
The opening goal came then against the run of play and it was largely due to the endeavour of Sheridan. The Celtic striker latched onto a long Green pass and found himself in acres of space on the left. Darren Quigley came running out of his goal as Kelly went over to snuff out the danger. It looked like Sheridan was about to chip the keeper but he cut inside his man and picked out Stokes who had the simple task of tapping into the empty net.
The goal was a setback to the under 23’s as they lacked a goal scoring edge in the first half. The strike partnership of Vinny Faherty and Karl Sheppard were frustrated throughout as they were starved of service.
Trapattoni’s men almost doubled their lead when Williams carelessly gave the ball away to Keith Fahey. The Birmingham star picked out Best who cut inside and got his shot away but Darren Quigley did well to beat it away.
With half an hour played Kieren Westwood hadn’t made a single save but he was almost picking the ball out of his net ten minutes later. Dennehy again was involved down the left wing. He laid the ball back to Williams whose whipped cross was met by Sheppard in the box. The Galway United striker has scored five times in the league so far this season but his effort went wide of the right hand post.
Both managers made changes at half time with Paul Doolin bringing on six players including Greg Bolger, James Chambers, Ross Gaynor, Ian Bermingham, Robert Duggan and Gary McCabe while Joe Murphy was introduced for Westwood.
The introduction of Gaynor sparked new life into the under 23’s and he almost had an immediate impact. The Dundalk man showed good footwork to lose his marker but his shot was tame and easy for Murphy to gather.
Anthony Stokes almost turned from scorer to provider in the 48th minute when his deep cross from the right almost caught out Duggan in goal. The Shamrock Rovers' keeper did well however to adjust his feet and save Long’s header via the post.
Doolin brought on Paddy Madden and Padraig Amond on the hour mark as he went in search of an equaliser that rarely looked like arriving as the central pairing of Darren O’Dea and Shane Duffy looked solid throughout.
The Everton defender was dominant in the air throughout the match and will have impressed Giovanni Trapattoni with an assured debut. Manchester City left back Greg Cunningham also caught the eye as he looked confident on the ball and rarely gave away possession.
Kevin Foley was introduced for Keith Fahey in the 65th minute as Trap looked to close out the remaining minutes .The main talking point occurred in the 72nd minute when the under23s had a controversial goal disallowed after the linesman adjudged Madden to have been offside. The Bohemians striker looked to have been onside when he received Gary McCabe’s through ball but the flag went up much to the frustration of Doolin.
The 23’s pushed forward in search of an equaliser but they failed to seriously test Joe Murphy in goal. The match was almost settled once and for all in the 83rd minute when Best teed up Liam Lawrence 20 yards out from goal. The Stoke City winger's shot was dipping and swerving but it clipped the top of Duggan’s bar and sailed over.
After the game Trapattoni said that he impressed with the under 23’s. “They have a very good mentality and they were also in a better physical condition than us because they are still playing in their league. There were about four players in their team that impressed me, especially Dennehy and O’Donnell.
Next up for the senior side is the double header against the World Cup bound duo of Algeria and Paraguay while the under 23’s take on England at the RDS in the International Challenge Tournament.
Republic of Ireland: Westwood, McShane, Cunningham, Duffy, O’Dea, Green, Stokes, Fahey, Sheridan, Best, Long.
Subs: Lawrence, Joe Murphy, Brian Murphy, Nolan, Foley.
Republic of Ireland U23s: Quigley, Kelly, Powell, Mulcahy, Browne, O’Donnell, Sheppard, Williams, Faherty, Finn, Dennehy.
Subs: Bermingham, Bolger, Chambers, Duggan, Gaynor, McCabe, Amond, Madden.
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Cillian Sheridan
Paul Doolin’s men started brightly with Shaun Kelly sending a series of long balls into the box that tested Darren O’Dea and Shane Duffy. Billy Dennehy’s trickery on the left wing was causing Paul McShane some early problems as the Shamrock Rovers man showed good footwork and pace down the flank.
Kelly’s early crunching challenge on Shane Long showed Trap’s men that they weren’t in for an easy ride however the U23’s struggled in the early stages to contain the power and link up play of Leon Best.
After a quiet opening the senior side began to dominate the proceedings and they went close to breaking the deadlock in the tenth minute. Long found himself with time and space to pick out the run of Cillian Sheridan but his low cross was cleared by Dave Mulcahy, who read the danger well.
The Airtricity players were playing the better football and looked comfortable in possession. The middle pairing of Shaun Williams and Stephen O’Donnell rarely gave the ball away with the all-action Galway United midfielder rarely missing a challenge.
The opening goal came then against the run of play and it was largely due to the endeavour of Sheridan. The Celtic striker latched onto a long Green pass and found himself in acres of space on the left. Darren Quigley came running out of his goal as Kelly went over to snuff out the danger. It looked like Sheridan was about to chip the keeper but he cut inside his man and picked out Stokes who had the simple task of tapping into the empty net.
The goal was a setback to the under 23’s as they lacked a goal scoring edge in the first half. The strike partnership of Vinny Faherty and Karl Sheppard were frustrated throughout as they were starved of service.
Trapattoni’s men almost doubled their lead when Williams carelessly gave the ball away to Keith Fahey. The Birmingham star picked out Best who cut inside and got his shot away but Darren Quigley did well to beat it away.
With half an hour played Kieren Westwood hadn’t made a single save but he was almost picking the ball out of his net ten minutes later. Dennehy again was involved down the left wing. He laid the ball back to Williams whose whipped cross was met by Sheppard in the box. The Galway United striker has scored five times in the league so far this season but his effort went wide of the right hand post.
Both managers made changes at half time with Paul Doolin bringing on six players including Greg Bolger, James Chambers, Ross Gaynor, Ian Bermingham, Robert Duggan and Gary McCabe while Joe Murphy was introduced for Westwood.
The introduction of Gaynor sparked new life into the under 23’s and he almost had an immediate impact. The Dundalk man showed good footwork to lose his marker but his shot was tame and easy for Murphy to gather.
Anthony Stokes almost turned from scorer to provider in the 48th minute when his deep cross from the right almost caught out Duggan in goal. The Shamrock Rovers' keeper did well however to adjust his feet and save Long’s header via the post.
Doolin brought on Paddy Madden and Padraig Amond on the hour mark as he went in search of an equaliser that rarely looked like arriving as the central pairing of Darren O’Dea and Shane Duffy looked solid throughout.
The Everton defender was dominant in the air throughout the match and will have impressed Giovanni Trapattoni with an assured debut. Manchester City left back Greg Cunningham also caught the eye as he looked confident on the ball and rarely gave away possession.
Kevin Foley was introduced for Keith Fahey in the 65th minute as Trap looked to close out the remaining minutes .The main talking point occurred in the 72nd minute when the under23s had a controversial goal disallowed after the linesman adjudged Madden to have been offside. The Bohemians striker looked to have been onside when he received Gary McCabe’s through ball but the flag went up much to the frustration of Doolin.
The 23’s pushed forward in search of an equaliser but they failed to seriously test Joe Murphy in goal. The match was almost settled once and for all in the 83rd minute when Best teed up Liam Lawrence 20 yards out from goal. The Stoke City winger's shot was dipping and swerving but it clipped the top of Duggan’s bar and sailed over.
After the game Trapattoni said that he impressed with the under 23’s. “They have a very good mentality and they were also in a better physical condition than us because they are still playing in their league. There were about four players in their team that impressed me, especially Dennehy and O’Donnell.
Next up for the senior side is the double header against the World Cup bound duo of Algeria and Paraguay while the under 23’s take on England at the RDS in the International Challenge Tournament.
Republic of Ireland: Westwood, McShane, Cunningham, Duffy, O’Dea, Green, Stokes, Fahey, Sheridan, Best, Long.
Subs: Lawrence, Joe Murphy, Brian Murphy, Nolan, Foley.
Republic of Ireland U23s: Quigley, Kelly, Powell, Mulcahy, Browne, O’Donnell, Sheppard, Williams, Faherty, Finn, Dennehy.
Subs: Bermingham, Bolger, Chambers, Duggan, Gaynor, McCabe, Amond, Madden.
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Cillian Sheridan
