IRELAND’S U21S ENTER their Euros playoff in the midst of their best period of form since Jim Crawford took over the side in 2020.
The Boys in Green will face Finland over two legs – the first leg away on Friday at 4.15pm and the return leg at Turners Cross on Tuesday at 5.45pm – with a chance of qualifying for the U21 Euros for the first time.
After wins over Slovakia and Kazakhstan (twice), Ireland made it four in a row by beating England 3-1 at Turners Cross in October, grabbing second place and a playoff spot at the last possible opportunity.
(Left to right) Grady McDonnell, Rory Finneran, Noah Jauny and Michael Noonan celebrate the win over England. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
That win was a crowning moment for Ireland, as England fielded a team worth a combined €320 million according to Transfermarkt (Ireland’s current squad is valued at less than €6 million). However, the whirlwind run-in saved them from what otherwise would have been a deeply disappointing qualifying campaign.
Jim Crawford’s side have shown a tendency to alternate between the ridiculous and the sublime in the past year. Eight of the team who beat England were also playing when Ireland were hammered 4-0 by Andorra in a shocking away defeat less than a year ago.
Jim Crawford dejected after defeat to Andorra. Aleksandar Djorovic / INPHO
Aleksandar Djorovic / INPHO / INPHO
A 1-1 draw with Moldova at Tallaght Stadium earlier this year was another stumbling block, as Ireland made their campaign an awful lot harder than it needed to be.
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Momentum
The gap between the ceiling and the floor of this team is a concern, but if Ireland are to qualify for their first ever U21 Euros, it is vital that they capitalise on current momentum and continue to play at the level they showed in Cork last month.
Finland are no small fry, though. They qualified for the last U21 Euros, and only finished behind Spain in their qualifying group, comfortably beating Romania and Kosovo to secure the play-off spot.
One new dimension to the upcoming fixtures is the presence of Hibernian forward Owen Elding, who has never played for Ireland at U21 level before, but was recently given a first senior international cap by Heimir Hallgrímsson. His integration into the forward unit will be one of the keys to success in the Finland games.
Owen Elding made his full international debut against Kosovo in September. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
The current Ireland U21 striker, Tommy Lonergan, finished the League of Ireland season as top scorer with 16 goals for Waterford, while he scored twice against England, and also netted against Slovakia and Kazakhstan late on in qualifying.
Elding could play off Lonergan, although that may displace Crawford’s existing creative players, with Trent Kone-Doherty and Jamie Mullins providing the guile in the current set-up.
Kone-Doherty (20), a former Liverpool prospect, now plays with Molde FK in Norway where he has scored six times in 21 league games this season. He is one of five players in the current squad plying their trade outside Ireland and the UK.
Kone-Doherty has taken an untraditional route by moving to Norway. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Ireland’s midfield pair should pick itself by now, with two high-profile loanees, Jacob Devaney and Rory Finneran, impressing in the England game. Manchester United’s Devaney (19) has been playing alongside Elding at Hibs, while Finneran (18) has impressed so far with League One’s Notts County, on loan from Newcastle.
If Ireland recapture their form from Turners Cross, Jim Crawford’s team should go one better than his 2022 side, who lost out to Israel in the U21s Euros playoffs. For now, that remains the best finish for an Irish team in Euros qualifying.
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Momentum key for Ireland as they chase history in Euro U21 playoff
IRELAND’S U21S ENTER their Euros playoff in the midst of their best period of form since Jim Crawford took over the side in 2020.
The Boys in Green will face Finland over two legs – the first leg away on Friday at 4.15pm and the return leg at Turners Cross on Tuesday at 5.45pm – with a chance of qualifying for the U21 Euros for the first time.
After wins over Slovakia and Kazakhstan (twice), Ireland made it four in a row by beating England 3-1 at Turners Cross in October, grabbing second place and a playoff spot at the last possible opportunity.
That win was a crowning moment for Ireland, as England fielded a team worth a combined €320 million according to Transfermarkt (Ireland’s current squad is valued at less than €6 million). However, the whirlwind run-in saved them from what otherwise would have been a deeply disappointing qualifying campaign.
Jim Crawford’s side have shown a tendency to alternate between the ridiculous and the sublime in the past year. Eight of the team who beat England were also playing when Ireland were hammered 4-0 by Andorra in a shocking away defeat less than a year ago.
A 1-1 draw with Moldova at Tallaght Stadium earlier this year was another stumbling block, as Ireland made their campaign an awful lot harder than it needed to be.
Momentum
The gap between the ceiling and the floor of this team is a concern, but if Ireland are to qualify for their first ever U21 Euros, it is vital that they capitalise on current momentum and continue to play at the level they showed in Cork last month.
Finland are no small fry, though. They qualified for the last U21 Euros, and only finished behind Spain in their qualifying group, comfortably beating Romania and Kosovo to secure the play-off spot.
One new dimension to the upcoming fixtures is the presence of Hibernian forward Owen Elding, who has never played for Ireland at U21 level before, but was recently given a first senior international cap by Heimir Hallgrímsson. His integration into the forward unit will be one of the keys to success in the Finland games.
The current Ireland U21 striker, Tommy Lonergan, finished the League of Ireland season as top scorer with 16 goals for Waterford, while he scored twice against England, and also netted against Slovakia and Kazakhstan late on in qualifying.
Elding could play off Lonergan, although that may displace Crawford’s existing creative players, with Trent Kone-Doherty and Jamie Mullins providing the guile in the current set-up.
Kone-Doherty (20), a former Liverpool prospect, now plays with Molde FK in Norway where he has scored six times in 21 league games this season. He is one of five players in the current squad plying their trade outside Ireland and the UK.
Ireland’s midfield pair should pick itself by now, with two high-profile loanees, Jacob Devaney and Rory Finneran, impressing in the England game. Manchester United’s Devaney (19) has been playing alongside Elding at Hibs, while Finneran (18) has impressed so far with League One’s Notts County, on loan from Newcastle.
If Ireland recapture their form from Turners Cross, Jim Crawford’s team should go one better than his 2022 side, who lost out to Israel in the U21s Euros playoffs. For now, that remains the best finish for an Irish team in Euros qualifying.
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Finland Test Football History in the making ireland U21 Republic Of Ireland U21 Euros