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.”