Irish U21s continue losing streak

Republic of Ireland U21 1 France U21 2

The Republic of Ireland’s youngsters failed to stop the rot of a seven-match sequence without a win as they lost to France in their UEFA U21 Championship qualifier in Cork.

The French eased up to second place behind Israel in the table as they put Don Givens’ side to the sword with a wonderful match-winning goal just 20 minutes from the end in front of a near-capacity 6,000 crowd.

The visitors had to come from being a goal down after 33 minutes to fashion an exciting victory after they beat the Irish 1-0 in Troyes in the corresponding fixture last October.

Three early efforts were fashioned by the French as they created all the early pressure.

Sunderland’s Anthony Le Tallec was close to scoring but the ball got caught up in his feet and then Marseilles’ Franck Ribery just failed to connect with a header on the far post as the visitors opened with a real sense of purpose and menace.

Bordeaux’s Julien Faubert picked out Ribery on the edge of the box after 12 minutes but he hit a fresh-air shot before the French were in again when Faubert’s diving header from Ribery’s cross flashed just wide of Wayne Henderson’s goal.

French coach Rene Girard opted for an attacking 4-4-2 formation and it paid off as a slick-moving French team dominated for most of the first half.

And yet 33 minutes into the qualifying tie, Ireland scored against the run of play when Sunderland’s Daryl Murphy hooked the ball home after Willo Flood’s free-kick was knocked down by centre-half John Fitzgerald in the box.

French winger Faubert was yellow carded in the 35th minute for a foul on Irish skipper Stephen Kelly as the home team stunned their Gallic visitors – but it was a short-lived lead.

Seven minutes later, in the 40th minute, Kelly brought down Ribery in the box and Murphy’s Sunderland team-mate Le Tallec scored from the spot-kick with a low drive past Henderson.

The French then had a major let-off just before the break when Steve Dawson’s cross came off Ronald Zubar’s head, beat the keeper but spun away from goal after hitting the post.

Ireland upped the tempo in the second half and substitute Roy O’Donovan was close to setting up a goal for Kevin Doyle but he fired wide 10 minutes after the restart.

France, too, had chances as the game became more expansive but Aston Villa’s Wayne Henderson, who is on loan at Brighton, denied the visitors with two excellent saves.

But he had no chance of stopping Bryan Bergougnoux’s bullet drive in the 71st minute as the French regained the lead at 2-1, the Toulouse midfielder netting the winner within six minutes of stepping off the bench.