Ireland 1-2 Belgium

A goal four minutes into added time defeated the Irish Under 23 team at Dalymount Park on Tuesday night. The visitors Belgium, had taken the lead just after the hour mark, but Ireland fought back and levelled matters through Ger O’Brien in the eighth minute. Then, with Fenlons side harshly reduced to ten men, David Hubert struck from thirty five yards to give Belgium the win.

It was a bitterly cold night to be out on, and considering two other Irish teams where also taking to the field in the Champions League, it was hardly surprising that only a paltry few turned up to cheer on the real Boys in Green.

Pat Fenlon’s side set up in a 4-5-1 formation, however its likely that the Boh’s manager would argue that it was 4-3-3. He may well have intended it that way, but wide men Jay O’Shea and Killian Brennan were both operating from a very deep starting position, in line with midfielders Stephen Rice and Paul Keegan. Stephen O’Donnell sat in front of the back four.

Shamrock Rovers keeper Barry Murphy made a fine save from a Joachim Mununga free kick after twelve minutes. Mununga later received a yellow card for a late, heavy challenge on Conor Powell. It took the Irish twenty minutes to create their first opening.

Brennan crossed from the left, and Cork City’s Denis Behan side footed his effort goal wards – but Belgium’s Daan Van Gijseghem got in the way and cleared the danger.

Midway through the half, Rice broke free on the right, and just when it looked like he had taken too long on the ball, he skilfully evaded a tackle and tried to pick out Brennan at the far post. Keeper Kevin Goeman got a hand to the cross, the ball came back to Rice, but the midfielders volley was deflected wide for a corner kick.

O’Shea had the ball in the net on the half hour mark, but the Irish linesman on the right hand side was of the opinion that the Galway winger had strayed ahead of the last Belgium defender before Rice had cleverly played it through.

Ger O’Brien nearly caught the keeper off guard on the hour mark. The Shamrock Rovers defender hit a free kick from the half way line, and with the assist of the wind, it carried all the way through, with Goeman being forced to tip the ball over his crossbar for a corner kick. Behan then struck the post five minutes later after getting free of his marker.

Against the run of play Belgium took the lead after sixty three minutes. Gavin Peers hesitated in defence, and in nipped Jelle Vossen. The Racing Club Genk striker took it past Murphy, and placed his shot neatly between O’Brien and Peers who had got back to protect the empty goal.

Cobh Ramblers Ross Gaynor and Bohemians JP Kelly were introduced immediately after going a goal down. Behan then forced a save with a well placed header, and Keegan struck a shot from thirty yards wide of the target with fifteen minutes left on the clock.

Ireland’s deserved equaliser came with just ten minutes left on the clock. Keegan put the ball into the box from a free kick a couple of yards outside the box, and O’Brien got the all important touch at the front post.

With the game in the ninety fourth minute Belgium got the deciding goal. Captain David Hubert was afforded to far to much time in the middle. No challenge was forthcoming so he struck a right footed shot from all of thirty five yards, that flew past Murphy into the top corner.

Rep Ireland U23: Murphy; Ger O’Brien, Conor Kenna, Gavin Peers, Conor Powell; Jay O'Shea (Kelly 63 Seamus Coleman 89)), Stephen O’Donnell, Paul Keegan, Stephen Rice (Ger Rowe 78), Killian Brennan (Ross Gaynor 63); Denis Behan.
Subs not used: Darren Quigley, Gary Deegan, Ruaidhri Higgins.

Belgium: Goeman, Tamsin, Van Gijseghem, Servaes, Huyghebaert, Hubert, Vermeerberges, Papassarantis, Mathyssen, Vossen, Mununga.
Subs: Mignolet, Gillis, Vanthournout, Buyens, Kums, Ngadrira, Wittesaele.