U21s concede early goal

Switzerland U21 1 Rep of Ireland U21 0

Ireland's defence of their 13-game unbeaten run has taken an early blow tonight as Stephan Lichsteiner has found the net for the home side after just four minutes.

Keeper Wayne Henderson was caught in no man's land, helping to gift Switzerland an early lead.

The 20-year-old inexplicably came off his line to meet a cross from deep from Young Boys left-back Alain Rochat, giving Stefan Lichtsteiner of Grasshoppers a simple header into an empty net.

With confidence rocked, the Republic could have been 2-0 down inside seven minutes when Ziegler and David Degen set up Davide Calla, who found himself with room to spare inside the 18-yard box, but his angled right-foot shot flashed past the right-hand post.

Switzerland again took advantage of holes down the right wing five minutes later, with Calla and Xavier Margairaz combining for the latter to float in a cross to the far post which just eluded the leaping Rochat.

With the Swiss making all the running, Rijat Shala then whipped in a cross for Calla to glance in a header which was narrowly over the angle of crossbar and post in the 17th minute.