Ireland under 21-year-olds increase the qualifying jump with a brilliant victory in Sweden
Sweden U21 0 Ireland U21 2
Goals from Ross Tierney and Tyreik Wright kept Ireland’s hopes of a first appearance in the U21 European Championship final alive with an invaluable 2-0 victory in Sweden.
Motherwell midfielder Tierney’s blow in the 12th minute and a late second from substitute Wright secured a win over the Swedes, who were denied what looked like a certain late penalty after being annulled twice before the break by goalkeeper Brian Maher.
Italy’s 1-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina took them three points ahead of the top of Group F with Sweden – leaders on goal difference before kick-off – fell to second, just one point ahead of Jim Gannon’s team, which likes the Italians, has played one game less .
Maher was called to action with only 11 minutes left when striker Amin Sarr came in behind Oisín McEntee and forced him to a solid save with a left foot attack.
However, it was the guests who took the lead seconds later in the middle of falling snow at Borås Arena when Gavin Kilkenny’s post was cleared just as far as Tierney, who thumped the loose ball past Sweden goalkeeper Samuel Brolin.
The Swedes, who lost 1-0 in Dublin in November, regrouped to get Ireland back when they were looking for a draw, and they might have got it without Maher, who ran from his line to block Armin Gigovic’s effort in the 28th the minute after Sarr. had skilfully turned Patrik Walemark’s pass into his running back.
Ireland went to the break with the lead intact, but the home team resumed in a determined way, which again got the green shirts to a coordinated defense.
They were close to putting the equalizer away after 11 minutes as the opposing defense lost control of the ball to Emil Holm in a scuffle towards the left of the goal, but in the end the ball was cleared over the dead ball line.
Ireland became more and more broken when they got tired before an attack and were lucky not to concede a penalty in the 81st minute after full-back Joel Bagan looked to drop substitute Isak Jansson, even if it was not according to the Portuguese referee Vitor Ferreira .
But they put the game to bed two minutes from time when substitute Josh Kayode got Mahers approval and Wright ran through to beat Brolin the second time he asked.
SWEDEN U21: S Brolin (Mjallby); E Holm (Sonderjyske), A Ousou (Slavia Prag), J Tolinsson (Lommel SK), E Kahl (Aarhus); H Finndell (Djurgarden), B Hussein (AIK Stockholm), A Gigovic (FK Rostov); P Walemark (Feyenoord), P Abraham (Groningen), A Sarr (Heerenveen).
Subs: C Gustaffson (Kalmar) for Hussein (50 min), J Ondrejka (Elfsborg) for Abraham, I Jansson (Kalmar) for Gigovic (both 67 min).
Yellow cards: Kahl (8 min), Abraham (30 min), Holm (90 + 5 min).
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U21: B Maher (Derry City); O McEntee (Morton), J O’Brien (Swindon), M McGuinness (Cardiff), J Bagan (Cardiff); L O’Connor (Tranmere), C Coventry (MK Dons), G Kilkenny (Bournemouth); R Tierney (Motherwell), O O’Neill (Fulham), A Odubeko (Doncaster).
Subs: T Wright (Colchester) for O ‘Neill (64 min), K Kayode (Rotherham) for Odubeko (70 min).
Yellow cards: Odubeko (41 min), Kilkenny (78 min), Maher (88 min).
Judge: V Ferreira (Por).