Soccer

Republic of Ireland U19s held to scoreless draw by Azerbaijan

Tom Mohan’s side make stuttering start to Uefa Championship first phase qualifiers

Republic of Ireland U19s manager Tom Mohan: his side failed to find back of net. Photograph: Kostadin Andonov/Inpho

Wed Oct 4 2017 - 21:54

Republic of Ireland U19 0 Azerbaijan U19 0

Tom Mohan's Republic of Ireland Under-19s made a stuttering start to their Uefa Championship first phase qualifiers after being held scoreless by Azerbaijan at the Waterford RSC on Wednesday.

With games against Cyprus on Saturday and Serbia on Monday to come in the round-robin series, Ireland have some work to do if they’re to clinch one of the two berths into the elite phase next year and they’ll hope not be left ruing a litany of missed chances.

Ireland will also be without Canice Carroll for the next outing after the Oxford United first-teamer was sent off for incurring a second yellow card six minutes from full time.

Ireland had dominated in large spells, creating openings in the first half for Anthony Scully and Thomas Byrne which fell victim to poor finishing.

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Goalkeeper Murad Popov was instrumental for the well-drilled Azeris who succeeded in frustrating the Irish to eke out a point they scarcely deserved.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: M Travers (Weymouth); T Wilson (Manchester City), D O'Shea (Hereford Utd), C Carroll (Oxford United), L O'Connor (Manchester Utd); J Doherty (Sheffield Utd), D McKenna (Wolves); R O'Sullivan (Worthing), J Molumby (Brighton), A Scully (West Ham); T Byrne (Drogheda Utd).

Subs: K Flanagan (Crystal Palace) for O'Sullivan (42 mins), M Obafemi (Southampton) for Scully (71 mins), J Afolabi (Southampton) for Byrne (89 mins).

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