Unlucky Ireland pay the penalty

AFTER a 1-0 defeat which left something of a sour taste in the mouths of the hosts, the Republic of Ireland U-19s will be looking for Bulgaria to do them a favour when they play Germany on Saturday while Sean McCaffrey’s men will be hoping to get their qualification ambitions back on track with victory against Hungary.

But this morning it’s Germany who are in poll position after securing a one-nil victory with a controversial penalty and then holding on to the lead in the face of sustained Irish pressure and despite ending the game with just nine men as tempers spilled over at the final whistle.

Manager Sean McCaffrey was a disappointed man at the end. “It was never a penalty, I saw it clearly on the replay” he said, “and we dominated the game, creating stacks of chances. We’re still in with a chance but the problem is that the likes of Bulgaria tend to be afraid of Germany. One thing for sure — we weren’t tonight.”