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22.11.2012 at 11:00 SDFL Clondalkin
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Attendance: |
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Ireland Under 16 |
1 - 1
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Estonia
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Referee: |
Friendly / *TS-match |
Republic of Ireland 1 Estonia 1
The Republic of Ireland under-16 team were held to a 1-1 draw with Estonia in the South Dublin Football League complex today.
Tom O Connors side opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Adam McDonnell fired home from 12 yards out after Sean Byrne cross had been headed goalwards by Tom Field but struck a defender and landed at the midfielders feet.
Unfortunately the Irish had little time to build on that lead as Estonia leveled just three minutes later. Rasmus Tauts intercepted a stray pass out from the back and raced through before producing a clever dinked finish over the advancing Irish keeper Evan Gaffney.
Home Farm midfielder McDonnell produced an impressive strike in the 28th minute but Estonian keeper Marten Vahi Sten made an instinctive stop and the rebound was booted to safety.
Manulla FCs Jessie Devers was unfortunate not to snatch a cheeky second for Ireland in the 34th minute when he cleverly lobbed the visiting keeper but Sten got back to gather at the last second.
Mattias Kait was handed a golden opportunity in the 40th minute after intercepting a pass from Irish keeper Gaffney but the Shelbourne stopper made a brilliant save from the strikers effort.
The rain soaked second half saw little by way of chances but Cemal Ramadan was unlucky not to snatch a winner in the 70th minute when he side-footed wide from a Sean Byrne cross.
Substitute Valeri Makarov had a late chance to grab victory for Estonia but he slipped the ball just the wrong side of an upright after being put through on goal with just Gaffney to beat.
“With the changes that we made we weren’t as fluid as we looked on Tuesday but we did start off brightly,” said Irish coach Tom O Connor.
“It was a very good exercise. Everybody has had a lot of playing time over the two games and that was the priority this week. In patches we played like we want to play but we did concede a goal from sloppy passing so we will have to eradicate that and the only way to do that is by constantly working on it.
“It does not end now. We are constantly assessing players and will continue to do that. The attitude over the four days has been excellent.
“We will look to have a two-day training camp and then look for a friendly in March before the tournament in the AUL at the end of the season.”
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Evan Gaffney; Jack Tuite (Colm Deasy 48), Dan Casey, Danny Kane, Graham Kelly, Adam McDonnell (Robbie Duggan 52), Anthony Dolan, Jessie Devers (Conor Melody 77), Tom Field (Shane Elworthy 60), Cemal Ramadan, Seán Byrne.
ESTONIA: Sten; Adler, Berggren, Krusel, Kummer (Kask 77), Kokla, Riiberg, Naik (Makarov 70), Golovljov, Käit, Tauts (Reinvald 52). |
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