The Republic of Ireland under-19s European Championship qualifying campaign ended in defeat tonight as they went down 1-0 to England at Tolka Park.
Sean McCaffrey's side will face England, Slovenia and Switzerland in a four-team mini-tournament this week, with the winners earning a place at the finals in Lithuania this summer. However, tonight's defeat leaves the Irish with it all to do in the remaining fixtures.
In truth, the result was harsh on the hosts with Ireland dominating for lengthy periods in front of a healthy crowd in Drumcondra. But their inability to convert that pressure into real goal-scoring opportunities was punished by Blackburn's Kieran Donnelly, whose second-half shot was deflected past Murphy in the Irish goal.
Ireland now face Switzerland, who lost 2-1 to Slovenia at Belfield this afternoon, on Wednesday.