Finland U-21 - 0, Rep Ireland U-21 - 1 Don Givens may have come to Helsinki with a strong performance higher on his list of priorities than a good performance, but it was the latter he got at the Finnair stadium where Jonathan Daly's stoppage-time goal handed the hosts a rather harsh defeat.

The game was evenly balanced throughout but terribly low tempo until the dying minutes when both sides belatedly started to create a few clear-cut chances around their opposition's goal.

Finland's best came two minutes from the end of regular time when Juho Makela sprinted clear on the left and started to bear down on Joe Murphy.

Sunderland's Clifford Byrne capped a fine performance with a wonderful covering tackle, though, and, from the resulting corner, Jason McGuinness cleared off the line after Murphy had fumbled his attempt to intercept the ball.

Over the 90 minutes, Shelbourne's Wesley Houlihan, making his international debut, was probably Ireland's most threatening player, but Liam Miller, Paul Tierney and Michael Keane all performed solidly.

Graham Barrett and Jim Goodwin had also looked comfortable through the first half, but neither appeared for the second as Don Givens had been informed by Mick McCarthy the pair would be on the bench for the senior game today.

When Daly's chance came two minutes into stoppage-time the Stockport striker took it sweetly, hooking his first-time shot over the Finnish goalkeeper after Murphy had sent Houlihan racing clear and the winger had hit a fine through ball that split the home side's defence.

The win flattered the team slightly, but they will nevertheless draw encouragement from it ahead of next month's tougher qualifying tie in Russia.

FINLAND: Fredrikson; Luima, Lindstrom, Nyman, Pulkkinen; Haarala, Lagerblom, Okkonen, Innanen; Sjolund, Scheweleff. Subs: Rahkamaa for Fredrikson and Sauso for Nyman (half-time), Parviainen for Okkonen (59 mins), Myntti for Lindstrom and Makela for Sjolund (63 mins), Mahlakaarto for Scheweleff (84 mins), Haapaniemi for Innanen (88 mins).

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Murphy (West Brom); S Byrne (West Ham), Goodwin (Stockport Co), C Byrne (Sunderland), Tierney (Manchester Utd); Miller (Celtic), Matthis (Huddersfield Town), Keane (Preston NE); Barrett (Arsenal), Burgess (Stockport Co). Houlihan (Shelbourne). Subs: McGuinnes (Bohemians) for Goodwin and R Doyle (UCD) for Barrett (half-time), Gamble (Reading) for Keane and Shelley (Carlisle Utd) for S Byrne (62 mins), Daly (Stockport Co) for Burgess (69 mins), M Doyle (Celtic) for Matthis (75 mins).

Referee: Kjell Alseth (Norway).