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Ireland U19 manager Paul Doolin (file photo). ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Nailbiter

Irish U19s handed tricky group for European Championship Finals

Paul Doolin’s side have been drawn alongside Greece, the Czech Republic and hosts Romania for the eight-team tournament.

PAUL DOOLIN’S IRISH U19 side will have their work cut out for them if they are to continue their impressive run of form after they were pitted against Greece, the Czech Republic and hosts Romania for next month’s European Championship Finals.

The youngsters have performed well since Doolin took the reins in September of last year, winning four and drawing one of their six qualification games thus far.

Goals from Connor Murphy (Bray Wanderers), substitute Sean Murray (Watford) and Joseph Shaughnessy (Aberdeen) gave them a convincing 3-0 victory in last week’s winner-take-all qualifier against Italy, earning the country a first appearance in nine years at the tournament’s final stages.

If Ireland are to progess, they will have to negotiate a tricky test against a Greek side who eliminated holders France in the final qualification round, while hosts Romania will also be anxious to impress on home soil as they make their own Finals debut.

Ireland’s three Group A games will take place on 20, 23 and 26 July, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the semi-final stages.

Serbia, Turkey, Spain and Belgium were drawn together in Group B during this afternoon’s ceremony at the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) headquarters in Bucharest.

The semi-finals will take place on 29 July, with the final scheduled for 1 August.