Ireland 2
Luxembourg 0
IRELAND U21S secured a second win from three qualifying games, as they beat Luxembourg 2-0 this evening.
A clinical Joshua Kayode finish and a Conor Coventry penalty earned Jim Crawford’s side a deserved victory to boost their hopes of European Championship qualification.
It was the U21 side’s first home game at Tallaght in front of fans since the 4-1 victory over Sweden in November 2019.
Ireland went into this fixture looking to improve on a disappointing 1-1 draw away to Luxembourg in their last qualifier.
After that game, there was a sense of momentum lost, after an encouraging opening 2-0 win against Bosnia in Zenica.
And with stiffer tests against higher-ranked opposition including Italy and Sweden to come, Crawford’s side knew picking up three points this evening was crucial.
There were four changes to the Irish starting XI from the last Luxembourg encounter, with Mark McGuinness, Ross Tierney, Joshua Kayode and debutant Liam Kerrigan coming into the side in place of Oisin McEntee, Dawson Devoy, Evan Ferguson, and Will Ferry.
Luxembourg also made four alterations from the match in Dudelange, with Emre Erkus, Farid Ikene, Gianni Medina and Alessio Curci making way, and Alexandre Sacras, Noah Rossler, Franz Sinner and Dylan Kuete coming in.
The hosts started on the attack and had the game’s first half-chance as Joel Bagan headed Tyreik Wright’s corner a few inches wide.
Otherwise, it’s was a fairly quiet opening 10 minutes, with Ireland seeing plenty of the ball without causing too many problems to the visitors’ backline.
Yet the crowd came alive in the 18th minute, as Wright found space down the left following a good cross-field pass from Conor Coventry and the Salford loanee crossed low for Kayode, who diverted the ball home from close range.
Ireland continued to look the stronger side and did most of the attacking, but they were given a warning on the half-hour mark, as Irvin Latic headed just wide after a needless free-kick was conceded a few yards outside the box.
The Boys in Green struggled to build on their opening goal thereafter, amid a dull end to a scrappy first half.
A really good move from Ireland ends with JJ Kayode diverting the ball into the Luxembourg net to give the hosts a 1-0 lead #COYBIG | #IRLU21 | #IRLLUX #rtesoccer pic.twitter.com/HqzAWtGlw1
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 8, 2021
The hosts had the first real chance of the second period. Joe Began made a good run down the left and found Kerrigan, but the UCD man could not direct his first-time finish on target from a tight angle.
Ireland then earned a controversial penalty just after the hour mark. Dylan Kuete looked to have been fouled by Mark McGuinness in the build-up and made his anger known to the assistant referee on the sideline, but play was waved on on and the hosts broke.
Kerrigan subsequently showed impressive pace to escape Franz Sinner in the area, prompting the defender to take him down with a rash challenge.
Conor Coventry stepped up and found the net, placing it down the middle with goalkeeper Lucas Fox diving to his right.
Kerrigan went close to adding a third 10 minutes later. Luxembourg were caught off guard by Kilkenny’s short free-kick and the young attacker saw his finish deflected just wide.
There was still time for Wright to test Fox with a curling free-kick from the edge of the area, while Luxembourg almost registered a late consolation, as substitute Selim Turping sprinted through on goal on the counter, but Brian Maher, who had almost nothing to do prior to that moment, got down well to make the save.
Substitutes Dawson Devoy and Conor Noss also each went close with attempts on goal in the dying moments, as Ireland comfortably saw out the victory.
The win sets Crawford’s men up nicely ahead of another important qualifier away to Montenegro on Tuesday.
Republic of Ireland: 1. Brian Maher 2. Lee O’Connor 4. Mark McGuinness 13. Jake O’Brien 3. Joel Bagan 6. Conor Coventry © 7. Gavin Kilkenny (Devoy 87) 17. Ross Tierney (Noss 70) 9. Joshua Kayode (Ferguson 70) 18. Tyreik Wright (Moran 90) 14. Liam Kerrigan (Gilbert 87).
Substitutes: 23. David Odomsu 5. Oisin McEntee 8. Conor Noss 11. Ronan Boyce 15. Alex Gilbert 19. Evan Ferguson 20. Dawson Devoy 21. Andrew Moran 22. Colm Whelan
Luxembourg: 1. Lucas Fox 2. Loris Bernady (Torres 64) 4. Kevin D’Anzico 19. Edin Osmanovic 14. Franz Sinner (Bernard 76) 11. Leon Schmit 5. Mathias Olesen © 6. Irvin Latic 3. Alexandre Sacras (De Oliveira 76) 7. Noah Rossler (Turping 64) 13. Dylan Kuete (Erkus 90).
Substitutes: 12. Timothy Serge Martin 9. Gary Bernard 10. Selim Turping 15. Cedric Baiverlin 16. Diogo Monteiro De Oliveira 17. Yohann Torres 18. Emre Erkus 20. Tiago Semedo
Referee: Besfort Kasumi (Kosovo)