Ger McCarthy picks out the key lessons learned as the Republic of Ireland defeated New Zealand 3-1 in tonight's friendly.

Troy Parrott has described Aaron Connolly’s double breakthrough into the Premier League and Ireland’s Euro 2020 qualifying campaign as a source of inspiration, as the young Spurs hot shot prepares to make his own senior debut against New Zealand.

Losing an All-Ireland semi-final is usually enough of a penance in itself but to follow that up with defeat in a national decider just two days later is a whole other level of purgatory. So, spare a thought today for the students at Midleton CBS.

Unlike their semi-final victory over Cork, the DDSL got the job done early in yesterday’s SFAI U14 Kennedy Cup final against Sligo/Leitrim to seal a 2-0 victory.

A dispute in Cork schoolboy football over an over-age player is set for a costly arbitration case.

An investigation has been launched after a 22-year-old referee was assaulted by an adult at an U15s Dublin schoolboys football match at the weekend.

Joe Corcoran used to like to be known as a mere postman with a passion for football but he was so much more.

Kerry beat the Dublin District Schoolboy League (DDSL) 1-0 in yesterday’s SFAI Kennedy Cup final at the University of Limerick.

DDSL 2 Waterford1

Standing alone in the centre-circle, they feel safe from the venom being discharged from the sideline.

Despite securing a recent €12.5m write down on their stadium debt, Football Association of Ireland chief executive John Delaney has revealed his target of having the loans cleared by 2020 could be pushed out.

Growing anger amongst Cork schoolboy clubs with the FAI has morphed into action as they last night withdrew from the Schoolboy Football Association of Ireland (SFAI) cups.

FAI chief executive John Delaney has cautioned that Ireland’s second seeding for next month’s Euro 2016 draw is a help — but not a guaranteed ticket — to reaching the finals in France.

The debacle over the Schoolboys Football Association of Ireland (SFAI) national cups is set to continue after the Cork League last night withdrew their co-operation.

Continued infighting within Irish football appears inevitable after the FAI narrowly succeeded yesterday in having their first-ever rule on restricting the movement of players passed at an emergency general meeting in Dublin.

France

Cork came from behind to beat the DDSL in extra-time yesterday at Tolka Park and win their first FAI Inter-league Youths Cup since 1978.

THERE was a shock result in yesterday’s SFAI Umbro Kennedy Cup final when the North Dublin Schoolboys League halted the DDSL’s eight-in-row ambitions by claiming their first title since 1995.

EVAN Shine was the hero with a late winner for the Dublin District Soccer League, who clinched their seventh successive SFAI Umbro Kennedy Cup crown at Limerick University yesterday in the final against South Dublin.

Kilkenny City have announced the appointment of Adrian Fitzpatrick as their new senior team manager.

GOALKEEPER JJ Hartigan emerged the hero, saving two penalties in a tension-packed shootout, as Limerick and District League won the FAI Youths Inter-League final at Belfield Park yesterday.