‘B’ INTERNATIONALS BY their very nature are not usually designed to be memorable affairs.

A chance for players on the fringes of an international squad to stake a claim, it usually passes even the most hardcore of supporters by, with little calls for a reintroduction of regular matches.

The last time a second-string Ireland squad took to the pitch was in 2008 when Ireland beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Dalymount Park, hardly a memorable encounter. But it was a totally different story when an Irish ‘B’ side last played in Turner’s Cross.

A starting team comprising of Denis Irwin, Jim Beglin, Alan McLoughlin and Niall Quinn started against England with the hope of catching Jack Charlton’s eye ahead of 1990 World Cup.

England too had a plethora of well-known names including Lee Dixon, Tony Adams and Carlton Palmer with a young Matt Le Tissier keen to impress, and it was the visitors that took the lead through a superb goal from Sheffield Wednesday’s Dalian Atkinson.

However it was the Boys in Green that dominated the rest of the match in front of a partisan crowd, with David Kelly missing a couple of glorious opportunities to equalise before Alan McLoughlin slotted home to the make the score 1-1.

David Kelly, who at the time was playing for West Ham, made up for his earlier misses by smashing home a penalty after being pulled down by Andy Linighan in the box. Two second-half goals from Niall Quinn though sealed the victory, including a magnificent looping header to round of a fine performance.

The performances of David Kelly and Quinn helped propel the strikers into Ireland’s final 22-man squad for the World Cup.

Bernie Slaven also helped his cause the next day, by scoring on his debut against Wales in a full international the at Lansdowne Road.

You can watch extended highlights of the ‘B’ international below.

Tuesday’s friendly against Belarus will be just the third senior international to take place in Cork, and the first-ever at Turner’s Cross. The Boys in Green last lined out in the Rebel County 30 years ago, when they played out a scoreless draw against Spain at Flower Lodge.

Ireland B: Gary Kelly, Denis Irwin (Terry Phelan), Jim Beglin, Derek Brazil, Pat Scully, Alan McLoughlin (Kenneth de Mange), Brian Mooney, Mike Milligan (Gary Waddock), Niall Quinn, David Kelly (Owen Coyle), Mark Kelly

England B: Dave Beasant (David Seaman), Lee Dixon (Ian Snodin), Nigel Winterburn, Carlton Palmer, Andy Linighan, Tony Adams, Matthew Le Tissier (Tony Daley), David Batty, Paul Williams (Nigel Clough), Dalian Atkinson, Andy Sinton, Paul Lake.

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