Battling Ireland claim draw

Ireland Schools 2 England Schools 2

After surviving a ninth-minute scare when Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick’s drive crashed off the underside of the crossbar, Ireland went ahead on 24 minutes.

Gani Nuredini looked to have won the ball off Kynan Rocks in the box but a penalty was awarded, allowing Jack Doherty to score from the spot.

A lapse in concentration caused that lead to be wiped out six minutes later, as Luke Donaldson was left alone 10 yards out to head home a floated cross by Nuredini.

Only a superb one-handed save by Finn Harps stopper Sean Patton, making his international debut, from Hippolyte-Patrick’s angled shot kept Ireland on terms at the break.

England continued to pressurise in the second half and eventually unhinged their hosts on 77 minutes.

Hippolyte-Patrick was once again the architect from a breakaway, releasing Rhys Turner through the middle to finish from close-range.

That wasn’t to be the end of this cracking, concluding tie in the campaign, however.

Wexford native Kevin O’Connor was denied by England goalkeeper Tom Gowans from close-range but, from the resulting corner, defender Alex Byrne found the space to squeeze his header inside the far post.

IRELAND: S Patton (St Eunan’s, Letterkenny); K Cantwell (St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny), A Byrne (Yeats College, Galway), P Fitzgerald (De La Salle College, Waterford), S Coyne (Terenure College); K O’Connor (St Peter’s College, Wexford), A Browne (Nagle CC, Cork), G Boyne (Castleknock CC, Dublin); K Rocks (Christian Brothers, Cork), J Doherty (Comeragh College, Carrick on Suir); C Barry (Portumna CS, Galway).

Subs: F McMahon (St Macartan’s College, Monaghan) for Boyne (46), R Bailey (West Suffolk) for Smith (58), S Hurley (Arklow CBS) for Barry (63), J Dykes (Summerhill College, Sligo) for Doherty (79), A Condell (St Kiernan’s, Kilkenny) for Patton (89).

ENGLAND: T Gowans (Vandyke); C McCormack (South Gloucester/Stroud), K Morris (Stourbridge College), J Poole (Hartpury College), G Nuredini (Ardingly College); L Donaldson (Brighton), S Hippolyte-Patrick (Stanmore), R Gilroy (Sacred Heart, Merseyside), M Smith (Blackpool), N Houghton (Wellcare, Manchester); R Turner (Myerscough, Preston).

Subs: C Gayler (Brighton) for Donaldson, L Binns (Hartpury College) for Nuredini (both 46), J Odam (Barton Peveril College) for Houghton (76), R Fergany (Worthing) for Binns (90).

Referee: K Callanan (Cork).