GROUP SIX/Rep of Ireland 0 Sweden 0:THE REPUBLIC of Ireland under-17 side got the point they needed yesterday against Sweden to confirm their position as group winners of Uefa Championship first phase group six.

Wins over Bulgaria and Latvia in their first two matches of the group guaranteed that Ireland advanced into the next phase, the Elite section, as one of the top two teams in the four-nation group.

Sweden would have overtaken Ireland at the summit had they beaten Sean McCaffreys side .

A quickly taken corner after only three minutes resulted in Irelands first chance. Anton Rodgers, Ben Glasgow and Aiden OBrien were involved and the shot by Chelsea youngster Rodgers forced a good save from Blazevic.

Sweden threatened through Karl Holmberg and Lucas Ohlander, only for both to miss the target with their respective first-half efforts but Ireland went in at the break satisfied with their work.

Half-time substitute Brian McGorary worked an opening four minutes after the turnaround for Ireland but didn’t test the goalkeeper before Shane Byrne whistled a shot wide three minutes later.

The best opportunity of the game fell to Aiden O’Brien with a minute remaining but their would be no repeat of his heroics from Tuesday when he netted a last-gasp winner against Latvia.

Put straight through on goal, O’Brien looked rounded the goalkeeper only for the Swedish netminder to recover and get a slight touch on his goalbound shot to deflect it wide.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Bonham (Watford); Glasgow (Arsenal), Bryan (Aston Villa), McGinty (Manchester Utd), Neil Yadolahi (St Kevin’s); Rodgers (Chelsea), Byrne (Leicester City), McHugh (Reading), Sutherland (QPR); O’Brien (Millwall), Purdy (West Ham Utd). Subs: Knight (Leicester City) for Sutherland (34 mins), McGroary (Wolves) for Glasgow (half-time), Smith (Southend) for Purdy (66 mins).

Final standings

P W D L F APt Rep of Ireland 3 2 1 0 3 1 7

Sweden 3 1 2 0 2 0 5

Bulgaria 3 1 1 1 5 2 4

Latvia 3 0 0 3 0 7 0

Results

Sweden 2 Latvia 0; Rep of Ireland 2 Bulgaria 1; Rep of Ireland 1 Latvia 0; Bulgaria 0 Sweden 0. Yesterday: Rep of Ireland 0 Sweden 0; Latvia 0 Bulgaria 4.

The 26 teams finishing first or second in the 13 qualifying groups - along with two third-placed sides - progress to the Elite Round. This stage, scheduled for next March, involves seven groups of four and the seven winners join Liechtenstein in the finals, scheduled for May, 2010.