A convincing win in their opening game of this week's UEFA mini-tournament put Brian Kerr's under-16 Irish team a major step closer to qualification for next year's European Championship finals in Israel.
In front of an 1,800 strong crowd at Tolka Park, the home side took a while to find their stride against their visitors but gradually took a firm grip on the game. Over the course of the 80 minutes they created by far the greater number of chances and eventually won thanks to goals, one in each half, from West Ham's Daryl McMahon and Jonathan Daly of Stockport County.
McMahon's strike, right on the stroke of half-time, gave Kerr's side an edge at a crucial time in the game. For some time before it they had enjoyed more of the possession but neither Daly or David Murphy appeared capable of imposing themselves. They were given enough chances for while the Swedes looked decent they had a habit of playing themselves into all sorts of trouble at the back. Sweden's Richard Spong played Daly straight in on his goalkeeper only to be let off the hook by the Irishman's poor finish.
McMahon was far more ruthless, scoring from eight yards out after good work by Michael Foley and Murphy, but Daly surpassed him with five minutes left to play. Stephen Brennan, just on for the injured Murphy, sent in a low cross which Spong once again made a mess of. Daly flicked it up in the air and stuck it in the top corner to kill off the game completely.
Late on Fredrik Lagemyr almost nicked one back for the Swedes, his glancing header slipping just the wrong side of Wayne Henderson's right-hand post but Keith Graydon went closer still to making it three with a firmly struck shot from 25 yards which clipped the crossbar.
Kerr's side meet yesterday's other winners, Switzerland, at Richmond Park in their second group match tomorrow night with Wales to come on Friday evening.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Henderson (Aston Villa); Rossiter (Sunderland), Kelly (Belvedere Boys), McCarthy (Manchester City), Gartland (Home Farm); Murphy (Celtic), Foley (Liverpool), Capper (Sunderland), McMahon (West Ham); Daly (Stockport), Graydon (Sunderland). Subs: Kilmartin (Blackburn Rovers) for McMahon (63 mins), Brennan (Newcastle Utd) for Murphy (72 mins), Walker (Leeds Utd) for Daly (83 mins).
SWEDEN: Kallqvist; Cottman, Spong, Elgstrom, Isik; Ingel, Jonsson, Moller, Karlsson; Drugge, Brannstrom. Subs: Melander for Drugge (59 mins), Lagemyr for Karlsson (74 mins), Ingvarsson for Jonsson (78 mins).
Referee: P Da Silva (Portugal).
Switzerland defeated Wales 3-0 at the Carlisle Grounds yesterday afternoon, with Nicholas Weber scoring after three minutes. Manuel Buhler added another a minute later and Weber claimed their third in the 68th minute.
