Stellar Smallbone helps Ireland take big step towards Euro finals dream

Southampton midfielder's brace either side of another from West Ham striker Mipo Odubeko helps see off Bosnia in Tallaght

Watching it all the way: Ireland's William Smallbone scores his side's third goal in Tallaght. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Republic of Ireland 3 Bosnia-Herzegovina 0 

Jim Crawford’s Republic of Ireland U21 side took another major step towards next year’s European Championships with an ultimately comfortable victory against their Eastern European opponents on Friday night.

Ireland now sit one point behind both Sweden and Italy but with one game fewer played than the Scandinavians and one more in the bag than the Group F favourites. Next up is their second-last qualifier, which is back here in Tallaght against Montenegro on Monday.

Two goals from Southampton’s Will Smallbone sandwiched another from West Ham United striker Mipo Odubeko to secure the win for an Irish team that did struggle for periods but a runners-up spot and play-off place are now within touching distance.

First place isn’t out of the question yet either.

Smallbone was excellent throughout on the right-hand side. Absent with injury for the first four games of this campaign, his return has been a major plus. Odubeko, of course, was playing just his second game after an absence of four years from an Irish shirt.

A good evening for Crawford then whose day had started positively with the news that Eiran Cashin’s paperwork had come through in time for this one. As it happened, the Derby County defender was not part of the matchday squad but that will change sooner rather than later.

Ireland took their time to get going and it was the visitors who had the first couple of half-chances with Amar Memic sending a weak header wide of the back post after eight minutes and Ivan Basic failing to trouble Brian Maher with a shot from just inside the area soon after.

Goals have not been easy come by for this Ireland side – only nine in their first seven games – but they finally mapped a route to the danger zone 15 minutes in when a surge from the left by Tyreik Wright led to a Smallbone cross. Odubeko couldn’t direct it on target.

The West Ham man really should have done better but he made amends almost immediately when his deft, if somewhat fortunate, touch put Smallbone in behind the full-back and in position to finish low to the net on the goalkeeper’s near post side.

The next half-hour produced little from either team until a chip over the Irish defence left Aleksandar Kahvic one-on-one with Maher. The keeper’s speed off the line allowed him deflect the attempted lob and keep it 1-0 to the hosts at the break.

Odubeko had a chance to double that seven minutes after the restart when Smallbone collected a loose ball out of the Bosnian defence and played him in but the shot was delayed and, eventually, smothered by the keeper.

Then came the hairy part.

The influential Basic twice sent shots over Maher’s bar, then Tarik Muharemovic had a header cleared off the line by Lee O’Connor, and that in turn was followed by a Jasmin Osmic curler that Maher diverted with an outstretched glove.

Ireland were on the ropes but they reacted with a counter punch that settled the contest. It came from another Odubeko flick forward – this one far more measured – and ended with him finding the net after Ross Tierney returned the favour with an assist.

Odubeko and Tierney’s immediate reward was to be taken off but it looked as if Ireland had engineered a semblance of control and that was confirmed nine minutes from time when Smallbone claimed his second at the back post via square ball.

Ireland have never qualified for a major finals at this level. This vintage is doing its best to change that.

Republic of Ireland: B Maher; L O’Connor, O McEntee, M McGuinness, J Bagan; C Coventry, G Kilkenny; W Smallbone, R Tierney, T Wright; M Odubeko.

Subs: J O’Brien for McEntee (52); E Ferguson for Odubeko and O O’Neill for Tierney (both 63); D Devoy for Kilkenny (78).

Bosnia-Herzegovina: L Damijanovic; A Dejanovic, T Muharemovic, S Marjanovic, N Nikic; I Savic, P Sucic, I Basic; J Osmic, A Kahvic, A Memic.

Subs: D Lukic for Kahvic (HT); D Popara for Sucic and B Nesinovic for Dejanovic (both 72).

Referee: L Cibelli (Sui).