U21s seek to reverse recent losses

DON GIVENS’ Irish U21s will take on Israel in Herzliya today hoping to get their European Championship qualifying campaign back on the rails after successive defeats by Switzerland and France.

The youngsters recorded a record 13th straight win at this grade with their 3-0 win over Cyprus at the start of the campaign but have since lost to their two main Group Four rivals while also going down 2-0 to Portugal in a friendly last February.

Givens won’t go so far as to say that this is a must-win for his side but he accepts that it is certainly a “must-not lose.”

He hasn’t been helped by a spate of withdrawals to his first-choice defence, the latest of which came yesterday with the withdrawal of central defender John Fitzgerald who failed a late fitness test on his left leg.

Scarborough’s Stephen Capper and Tottenham’s Stephen Kelly have not travelled due to injury, while Paddy McCarthy of Manchester City sits out the game through suspension.

That leaves a back four with just a handful of caps between them to face an Israeli team that has shown itself to be a capable foe in the group.

“Yeah, the old back four is gone,” said Givens at the team’s David Intercontinental Hotel yesterday. “Henry McStay has only been in once and Paul McShane is making his debut. Stephen Paisley has a reasonable amount of experience but other lads get their chance when lads get injured.

It’s still a decent team, albeit one with a little less experience.”

In light of that, Ireland will look more than ever to a sturdy midfield spine to hold things together against the hosts.

“Midfield has been one of our stronger points, apart from the Portugal game when we didn’t perform. Darren Potter and Glenn Whelan have been very strong for us. Glenn particularly can also protect the back four.

“We performed very well there for 75 minutes against France (before losing 1-0) and we’ll be looking for the same again.”

IRELAND U21s: S Deeney (Notts County), K Foley (Luton Town), H McStay (Leeds Utd), P McShane (Man Utd), S Paisley (Longford Town), W Flood (Man City), G Whelan (Sheffiled Wednesday), D Potter (Liverpool), A McGeady (Celtic), J Tabb (Brentford), D Murphy (Waterford Utd).