Ireland U21s humiliated by Andorra in Euro qualifier

A seven-minute meltdown in the first-half saw Andorra race into a scarcely believable 2-0 lead.

Andorra recorded just their fourth ever competitive U21 victory with a 4-0 win against Ireland. Pic: ©INPHO/Aleksandar Djorovic

2027 Uefa European Under-21 Championship qualifier: Andorra 4-0 Rep of Ireland

Ireland’s Euro 2027 qualification hopes already look doomed after the bottom seeds inflicted a humiliating defeat on a torrid night in Andorra.

With Slovakia losing 4-0 at home to England, the Boys in Green would have moved within touching distance of the playoffs with a win.

Halfway through the campaign, Ireland could have been sitting pretty; three points adrift of Slovakia with a game in hand, ahead of facing them again in September.

Instead, Jim Crawford and his players lost to a team recording only its fourth competitive victory at Under-21 level, and they will have to carry this harrowing defeat with them into Christmas and through the new year, before they play again in March.

It was a remarkable capitulation, albeit against a team that forced the issue at Tallaght Stadium last month, with Michael Noonan scoring the only goal in the second-half.

This time, Ireland were quickly in the horrors, reeling from a seven-minute meltdown in the first-half that saw Andorra race into a scarcely believable 2-0 lead.

But they were good value for it, after showing a ruthless streak to pounce on back-to-back defensive errors from the Ireland captain James Abankwah.

First, the Watford loanee headed a long punt from goalkeeper Marc De Castro but skewed it sideways. Alex Cornella’s deep cross was then headed back across goal by Ot Remolins and Gerard Sola scored from close range.

Still, Crawford preached calm from the sidelines, safe in the knowledge there were only 16 minutes gone in the game. Plenty of time left to rescue the situation.

As it happens, Ireland were left with a major problem to solve midway through the opening half as the night spiralled out of control.

Again, De Castro went direct and again Abankwah came to deal with it. This time, the former St Pat’s defender shielded Aron Rodrigo from the ball and appeared to have things under control. Until, that was, he played a sloppy pass to Darius Lipsiuc that was intercepted by Hugo Ferreira and arrowed high into the net.

Ireland’s attacks were few and far between with Jacob Devaney and Conor McManus cobbling together the best of them but the Boys in Green were toothless in a terrible opening half - and it only got worse thereafter.

Andorra were celebrating their third goal four minutes into the second-half. A corner was worked to Rodrigo and when his 25-yard effort clipped an Irish player in the box, it fell kindly to Ian Olivera who slashed the ball home.

Ireland goalkeeper Noah Jauny could do nothing about it and looked haunted by what was unfolding. But he didn’t help matters by conceding the penalty that put Andorra 4-0 up with 16 minutes to go.

Jauny raced off his line to beat Nil Boutarfas to a low ball but when he got to his feet, he pushed the striker. Sola buried the penalty to round off a miserable night that shell-shocked Ireland never saw coming.

ANDORRA: De Castro; Borra, Acosta, Olivera, Cornella; Remolins, Rodrigo (Guma 69), M Rodriguez (G Rodriguez 69), Ferreira (Torne 78); Sola (Dominguez 86), Boutarfas (Carrau 86).

REP OF IRELAND: Jauny; Abankwah (Moorhouse 75), Okagbue, Grehan; Mullins (Murphy 45), McManus (Slater 78), Hakiki (Melia 45), Lipsiuc, Devaney; O’Mahony (Lonergan 75), Kone-Doherty.

Referee: A Lashuk (Belarus)