Lonergan and Grehan strike as Ireland U21s revive Euro hopes in Slovakia

Seán Grehan’s 57th-minute header in Kosice followed Tommy Lonergan’s debut goal, which had delivered a dream start.

In between, goalkeeper Noah Jauny produced an inspired double save from a penalty to secure the outcome and leave Ireland two points behind the second-placed Slovaks ahead of Tuesday night’s meeting with Kazakhstan at Turner’s Cross.

It was a deserved victory for the visitors, who dominated for long periods and survived a spell of turbulence around the half-hour mark.

The game was in its infancy when Trent Kone-Doherty raced down the left, turned inside and showed presence of mind to clip a left-footed cross onto the head of the onrushing Lonergan for the opener as he continued the hot form that has made him the Premier Division's top scorer this season.

The Slovaks were all at sea and Ireland should have punished them as they threatened to run riot. Jamie Mullins was fortunate to get through two challenges but, with goalkeeper Adam Hrdina to beat, directed his effort too close to the keeper.

Sam Curtis then broke forward and fired a low effort that Hrdina got down to save at his near post. Ireland remained in control until a moment of madness almost allowed the hosts to draw level.

Curtis’s badly-timed attempt to challenge Matej Riznic as he ghosted in at the back post to meet a cross from the right resulted in a 28th-minute penalty awarded by Ukrainian referee Viktor Kopiievskyi.

Nino Marcelli stepped up to take it but Jauny dived to his right to save the spot-kick with his face, then got up immediately to deny Riznic’s follow-up.

Undeterred, the Slovaks continued to press and, after Ireland were sloppy in possession, Artur Gajdos fed Jakob Pira, whose shot just outside the box was taken by Jauny.

Crawford’s charges had another let-off in the 35th minute, when Grehan’s clearing header at the edge of the six-yard box fell to Marcelli, who mis-kicked a first-time shot wide.

The visitors regained their composure and Kone-Doherty came close to adding a second in the 39th minute when he unleashed a 20-yard shot that Hrdina tipped away.

Ireland stayed on the front foot from the start of the second half and their pressing game yielded a 56th-minute midfield turnover that could have produced more than a corner as they wasted a three-on-two break.

However, they doubled their lead from the set-piece. Mullins’s cross was right on the money for Grehan, who made the Slovaks pay for not paying him close attention. Hrdina will be disappointed with his sluggish reaction to the downward header, but Ireland were not complaining.

The hosts had to go for broke and came close to a lifeline 18 minutes from time when Pira picked out substitute Lukas Mikulaj, who headed wide.

At the other end, Oisin Gallagher was denied a scoring impact off the bench from a near-post header that was well stopped by Hrdina. Then Kone-Doherty’s pace gave him the chance to shoot when he could have picked out Michael Noonan, but his effort was deflected away.

Noonan himself saw a chance flash wide off his left foot in the 83rd minute, but there was to be no surge from the hosts and Ireland will head to Cork with confidence as they make a push for that runners-up play-off berth.

SLOVAKIA: Hrdina; Hranica (Pavek 60), Mielke, Pališčák, Okál; Sauer (Sovič 74), Chyla (Hájovský 60), Gajdoš (Maroš 67), Riznič; Pira (Mikulaj 60), Marcelli.

REP OF IRELAND: Jauny; Curtis, McCarthy, Grehan, Murphy; Finneran, Devaney (Gallagher 75); Kone-Doherty (Ayinde 86), Mullins (Akachukwu 75), Brennan; Lonergan (Noonan 67)

Referee: V Kopiievskyi (Ukraine)