FINLAND BEAT IRELAND 1-0 to gain the upper hand in tonight’s Uefa U21 Championship Qualification playoff first leg in Tampere.
Onni Helén scored the winner in the eighth minute of first-half stoppage time after an opening 45 minutes overshadowed by a snowstorm that made life awkward for both sides.
Ireland will still be confident of turning the tie around, however.
Jim Crawford’s side beat England 3-1 in Turner’s Cross last month, and will be hopeful of a similarly positive performance at the same venue on Tuesday to secure a first-ever qualification for a major tournament at U21 level.
Finland dominated the early stages, but struggled to create chances against a diligent Irish defence.
Meanwhile, as the conditions worsened, the game became more scrappy.
The white ball was replaced with a yellow one.
And at one point towards the end of the first half, both sets of players were called to the touchline, allowing ground staff to try to make the lines on the pitch more visible.
The frequent delays and difficulties controlling the ball amid the chaos were not necessarily a negative from an Irish perspective.
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The bad weather hampered Finland’s early momentum and gave the away side’s backline some respite.
The Boys in Green then thought they had taken the lead when Owen Elding – the senior international who was making his debut at U21 level – headed home Cathal McCarthy’s cross amid a rare Irish attack.
But the linesman’s offside flag promptly cut short the visitors’ celebrations.
Finland take the lead.
Ireland have dealt with the conditions well but with the last act of the first-half the home side hit the front.
#VMSport #FAI https://t.co/eW4cfL5pJ9
Minutes before the break, Ireland were let off with a warning.
Matias Siltanen received the ball on the edge of the area and curled a shot inches wide in what was the best chance of the match up to that point.
The delays resulted in over seven minutes of stoppage time, and in the dying seconds of the first half, Finland took the lead.
Helén – who had replaced the injured Jimi Tauriainen earlier in the game – found space between two Irish defenders.
The 20-year-old forward, who plays his football with Sogndal in Norway, placed a looping header into the corner of the net after getting on the end of Liam Möller’s perfectly delivered cross, leaving Ireland with work to do in the second half.
The break lasted more than 30 minutes, as the overworked ground staff cleared the pitch.
The snow also stopped, making it easier for both teams to play, though this new scenario seemed to galvanise the hosts.
Ireland may have felt unfortunate to be 1-0 down at the break, but they rode their luck at times in the second half.
The visitors survived a Finnish onslaught early on, with Helén and Otto Ruoppi among the players to go close.
Ireland's Tommy Lonergan. Aleksandar Djorovic
Aleksandar Djorovic
A mixture of slack finishing and strong Irish defending kept the score at 1-0 – Alex Murphy, the Newcastle centre-back on loan at Kaiserslautern, impressed with some vital blocks, though he also could have conceded a penalty for a risky challenge on Ruoppi.
Ireland had a couple of opportunities of their own. Trent Kone-Doherty made an impact after being introduced just after the hour mark.
The Molde winger’s cross led to Jamie Mullins’ header hitting the bar, before Elding’s follow-up was cleared off the line.
Matteo Egan, the Empoli youngster who made his debut from the bench, also could have done better, blasting into the side netting from a tight angle after a clever through pass by Mullins.
It would have been harsh on Finland, who shaded both halves and continued an impressive qualification campaign that also saw them beat Spain on home turf earlier in the year.
But while disappointed with the loss, Crawford and co will still feel the tie is winnable ahead of next week’s all-important second leg.
Ireland team: Noah Jauny, Seán Grehan, Alex Murphy, Cathal McCarthy, Conor McManus, Oisin Gallagher (Matteo Egan 61), Jacob Devaney (Kian Brown 85), Rory Finneran, Jamie Mullins, Tommy Lonergan (Trent Kone-Doherty 61), Owen Elding.
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Euro qualification in the balance as Finland edge Ireland in snowy conditions
Euro U21s playoff first leg:
Finland 1
Ireland 0
FINLAND BEAT IRELAND 1-0 to gain the upper hand in tonight’s Uefa U21 Championship Qualification playoff first leg in Tampere.
Onni Helén scored the winner in the eighth minute of first-half stoppage time after an opening 45 minutes overshadowed by a snowstorm that made life awkward for both sides.
Ireland will still be confident of turning the tie around, however.
Jim Crawford’s side beat England 3-1 in Turner’s Cross last month, and will be hopeful of a similarly positive performance at the same venue on Tuesday to secure a first-ever qualification for a major tournament at U21 level.
Finland dominated the early stages, but struggled to create chances against a diligent Irish defence.
Meanwhile, as the conditions worsened, the game became more scrappy.
The white ball was replaced with a yellow one.
And at one point towards the end of the first half, both sets of players were called to the touchline, allowing ground staff to try to make the lines on the pitch more visible.
The frequent delays and difficulties controlling the ball amid the chaos were not necessarily a negative from an Irish perspective.
The bad weather hampered Finland’s early momentum and gave the away side’s backline some respite.
The Boys in Green then thought they had taken the lead when Owen Elding – the senior international who was making his debut at U21 level – headed home Cathal McCarthy’s cross amid a rare Irish attack.
But the linesman’s offside flag promptly cut short the visitors’ celebrations.
Minutes before the break, Ireland were let off with a warning.
Matias Siltanen received the ball on the edge of the area and curled a shot inches wide in what was the best chance of the match up to that point.
The delays resulted in over seven minutes of stoppage time, and in the dying seconds of the first half, Finland took the lead.
Helén – who had replaced the injured Jimi Tauriainen earlier in the game – found space between two Irish defenders.
The 20-year-old forward, who plays his football with Sogndal in Norway, placed a looping header into the corner of the net after getting on the end of Liam Möller’s perfectly delivered cross, leaving Ireland with work to do in the second half.
The break lasted more than 30 minutes, as the overworked ground staff cleared the pitch.
The snow also stopped, making it easier for both teams to play, though this new scenario seemed to galvanise the hosts.
Ireland may have felt unfortunate to be 1-0 down at the break, but they rode their luck at times in the second half.
The visitors survived a Finnish onslaught early on, with Helén and Otto Ruoppi among the players to go close.
A mixture of slack finishing and strong Irish defending kept the score at 1-0 – Alex Murphy, the Newcastle centre-back on loan at Kaiserslautern, impressed with some vital blocks, though he also could have conceded a penalty for a risky challenge on Ruoppi.
Ireland had a couple of opportunities of their own. Trent Kone-Doherty made an impact after being introduced just after the hour mark.
The Molde winger’s cross led to Jamie Mullins’ header hitting the bar, before Elding’s follow-up was cleared off the line.
Matteo Egan, the Empoli youngster who made his debut from the bench, also could have done better, blasting into the side netting from a tight angle after a clever through pass by Mullins.
It would have been harsh on Finland, who shaded both halves and continued an impressive qualification campaign that also saw them beat Spain on home turf earlier in the year.
But while disappointed with the loss, Crawford and co will still feel the tie is winnable ahead of next week’s all-important second leg.
Ireland team: Noah Jauny, Seán Grehan, Alex Murphy, Cathal McCarthy, Conor McManus, Oisin Gallagher (Matteo Egan 61), Jacob Devaney (Kian Brown 85), Rory Finneran, Jamie Mullins, Tommy Lonergan (Trent Kone-Doherty 61), Owen Elding.
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