Ireland shower Turkey with goals in rain-swept Tallaght
U17 International
So far, so good for Ireland’s U17s this season after Colin O’Brien’s side recorded a second three-goal winning margin over Turkey yesterday.
As the rain teemed down at Tallaght Stadium, the goals did too with Ireland racing into a three-goal lead. Although the visitors reduced the deficit before the break, another Ireland goal late on ensured they followed up Tuesday’s 3-0 win with another emphatic result.
These friendlies, along with three more in a mini-tournament in November, form part of preparations for Ireland’s involvement in the European finals next May. Instead of qualifying for the expanded tournament, as they did in three of the last four years, the Boys in Green are automatic participants as the host nation.
Troy Parrott will lead the line in that tournament but in the absence of their star striker, who was on Youth Champions League duty for Tottenham Hotspur this week, they had a capable replacement in Matt Everitt.
The Brighton and Hove Albion striker crossed for Cian Kelly to head in the opener on seven minutes before nodding in the second himself on 26 minutes. The third arrived four minutes later when Darragh Burns converted after Everitt saw his shot saved by Evra Saner Gülal.
A mistake allowed Ali Akman rocket his shot into the top corner on the stroke of the interval but substitute Conor Carty restored the three-goal cushion by volleying in a James Furlong cross with eight minutes left.
J Corcoran (Preston NE); T Considine (Bohemians/St Kevin’s Boys), L Turner (Aberdeen), C Kelly (Shamrock Rovers), Z Delaney (West Brom); S Keogh (Southampton), T Sobowale (Manchester City); D Burns (St Patrick’s Ath), J Giurgi (Norwich City), F Ebosele (Derby County); M Everitt (Brighton & Hove Albion).
K Conway (St Patrick’s Ath) for Kelly (h/t), J Furlong (Shamrock Rovers) for Delaney (62 mins), C Carty (Wolves) for Everitt (65 mins), B Holt (St. Patrick’s Ath) for Giurgi (74 mins).
E Saner Gülal; M Emin Sarikaya, Ç Kurukalip, R Salih Kaya, K Bayrak; H Ibrahim Sevinç, B Özdemir, S Kavrazli, A Akman; O Tirpanci, P Abay.
Mark Moynihan.
