IRELAND’S U17S LOST 4-1 against hosts Portugal on Wednesday in the opening match of their Uefa U17 Euro Elite Round Qualifiers.
Colin O’Brien’s side trailed 2-0 to first-half goals from Joao Simoes and Gabriel Silva before St Patrick’s Athletic starlet Mason Melia pulled one back from the penalty spot on 33 minutes.
But Portugal killed the contest inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half as Silva struck again and then Rodrigo Mora added his team’s fourth.
Defeat leaves Ireland with work to do as they bid to qualify for a second straight Euros, in the hope of emulating last summer’s magnificent run to the quarter-finals.
They need a top-two finish in their group to have any chance of qualification, with the seven best runners-up joining the eight group winners and hosts Cyprus at the finals in May and June.
Ireland play Germany on Saturday before their final group match against Croatia next Tuesday. Germany and Croatia played out a 3-3 draw in their opening game earlier on Wednesday.
Ireland: Joe Collins; James Roche, Luca Cailloce, Taylor McCarthy (Jaden Umeh 45), Kaylem Harnett; Niall McAndrew (Luke O’Donnell 66), Matthew Moore; Cathal O’Sullivan (Kyle Fitzgerald 66), Rory Finneran (Aaron Ochoa Moloney 80), Harry McGlinchey; Mason Melia (Michael Noonan 74).
Portugal: Diogo Ferreira; Duarte Soares, Rui Silva, Rafael Mota (Afonso Sousa 60), Martim Cunha; Rodrigo Mora, Eduardo Felicissimo (David Daiber 80), Joao Simoes; Geovany Quenda (Afonso Vieira 74), Cardoso Varela, Gabriel Silva (Francisco Silva 60).
