If Brian Kerr does succeed Mick McCarthy as Republic of Ireland manager this week, his tenure at underage level will have come to a fitting end. Last night, a Liam Kearney goal earned Kerr's under-20s a 1-0 win against France and outright victory in the four-nations tournament in Abu Dhabi.
Ireland lost to South Korea in their opening match, but a 3-2 win over the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday gave them a mathematical chance of winning the tournament going into yesterday's game. South Korea needed to beat the UAE in the second game of the evening but could only draw 0-0, and overall victory went to Ireland.
Kearney scored after six minutes, clipping the ball over goalkeeper Kimam Duhour after Ireland's pressure forced France into a mistake on the edge of their penalty area.
Although Ireland had several chances to increase their lead, France were the more dominant side. However, they were thwarted by an impressive defensive display.
The win comes just two months befor the World Cup, which will also be hosted at the same venue.
Afterwards, Kerr said: "It was a wonderful disciplined performance. Our defence and midfield did magnificently to keep the French out.
"The French team had a lot of changes and they were a lot fresher, but we coped well. It has been a difficult week with three games in five days - but a very worthwhile experience. The object of the trip was to win games in these conditions. I know it will be a lot hotter at the World Cup and the standard will be better, but we will be better prepared because of this trip."
Emmet Malone adds: Drogheda United officials last night restated their determination to meet with all of the conditions laid down by the board of control of the eircom League ahead of tomorrow's vital game with St Patrick's Athletic at O2 Park.
Although the club lodged a draft for €100,000 with the FAI on Thursday, they failed to satisfy representatives of the league's other club in relation to providing information on the full extent of their debts or their intention to reinstate Hinge Trading Limited, the company under which the club formerly traded.
Club chairman Joe Fay and other club officials, who will now meet with board of control representatives today, said yesterday that they will do absolutely everything required of them to secure the club's future.
A number of Shamrock Rovers players plan to meet with representatives of the PFAI today to consider what action to take after encountering problems with the payment of their wages by the club for the second week in a row.
Club officials had given commitments that last week's problems were no more than a "hiccup" and that they would be sorted out. The players were then told that they would be paid at two o'clock yesterday but in the event it was after four, when the banks had already closed for weekend, by the time they received cheques.
The problems are said to have angered a number of members of the club's first team squad and today's meeting will apparently consider a proposal to refuse to play tomorrow's final league game of the season unless the situation is satisfactorily resolved before the match.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Henderson (Aston Villa); Brennan (Newcastle United), Kelly (Tottenham Hotspur), Fitzgerald (Blackburn Rovers), Capper (Sunderland); Keegan (Leeds United), Potter (Liverpool), Foley (Liverpool, capt), Kearney (Nottingham Forest); Zayed (Bray Wanderers), Doyle (St Patrick's Athletic). Subs: Elliott for Zayed (36 mins), Ward for Kearney (half time), Deane for Potter (78 mins), Kendrick for Doyle (85 mins). Booked: Keegan, Kendrick.
