IRELAND REMAIN ON course to qualify for next year’s U21 Euros after running riot in the second half to seal a 7-0 win over San Marino in Group A.
Sinclair Armstong opened the scoring for Jim Crawford’s side before Rocco Vata’s second-half hat-trick, further strikes by Andrew Moran and Armstrong Okoflex, and a San Marino own goal more than secured a valuable three points at San Marino Stadium.
Anselmo Garcia McNulty and Sinclair Armstrong went close for Ireland before the latter opened the scoring in the 26th minute, QPR attacker Armstrong applying the finish to a flowing team move having been teed up by Andrew Moran.
Ireland continued to pour pressure on the overwhelmed hosts and Armstrong — who could have had a first-half hat-trick — then rattled the crossbar with a header from close range.
San Marino survived until the break, but there was to be no let-up from Crawford’s side.
Ireland wound up tallying 42 shots — 18 of which were on target — and they cut loose in the second half.
Moran tapped home a rebound from Rocco Vata’s free-kick to double Ireland’s lead seven minutes after the restart and Armstrong’s presence forced a Giacomo Benvenuti own goal to put the game out of sight moments later, the centre-back accidentally sliding home a driven cross from the right-hand side by Matt Healy.
Just after the hour mark, Vata — who scored twice in the reverse fixture — bagged his first couple of goals within the space of two minutes. He capitalised on poor San Marino defence to convert his first and then drove a 25-yard pearler into the bottom corner to make it 5-0.
Substitute Armstrong Okoflex finished high to make it 6-0 on 71 minutes before Celtic forward Vata completed the rout, and his hat-trick, with a stoppage-time tap-in.
Ireland remain a point behind group leaders Italy, who saw off Latvia 2-0 in a later kick-off on Friday.
Jim Crawford’s side are four clear of Norway, albeit the Scandinavians have a game in hand.
San Marino: Matteo Batistini, Giacomo Benvenuti, Giacomo Matteoni, Mattia Sancisi (Diego Zavoli 63′), Simone Giocondi, Matteo Valli Casadei, Nicolo Sancisi (Nicolas Giacopetti 63′), Nicolo Chiaruzzi (Marco Casadei 80′), Tommaso Benvenuti (Luca Terenzi 80′); Samuele Zannoni (Andrea Dolcini 73′), Nicola D’Addario.
Unused subs: Fabio Borasco, Tomasso Famiglietti, Alessandro Giambalvo, Filippo Pasaloni.
Ireland: Josh Keeley, Sam Curtis (Sean Grehan 65′), Bosun Lawal, Anselmo Garcia McNulty, Tayo Adaramola, Joe Hodge (Killian Phillips 75′), Matt Healy, Andrew Moran (Zak Gilsenan 70′), Tony Springett (Armstrong Oko-Flex 65′), Rocco Vata, Sinclair Armstrong (Mark O’Mahony 65′).
Unused subs: Tiernan Brooks, Connor O’Riordan, Alex Murphy, Calum Kavanagh.
Referee: Viktor Kopiievskyi (Ukraine).
