SOCCER: Rep of Ireland 0 Romania 0:REPUBLIC OF Ireland under-19 manager Paul Doolin lauded his young troops for digging in last night to get the point against host nation Romania that secured a European Championships semi-final meeting with Spain on Friday.
Had Greece beaten group leaders Czech Republic in the other game being played simultaneously, the challenge would have been altogether different. However, as it transpired, once word filtered through from nearby Mogosoaia 20 minutes from time that the Czechs had gone ahead, the pressure of winning the game drained from the weary minds of the Irish players.
In a game of few chances, Ireland had a goal ruled out for offside but equally, Ireland goalkeeper Aaron McCarey had to be alert to foil a determined Romania side with no points to show from their opening two matches.
“We had heard that Czech Republic had gone ahead, so we didn’t have to charge the light brigade to look for the win in the end,” said Doolin afterwards.
“I’m delighted for the players because they’re a fantastic group. They were out on their knees tonight with the high temperatures and hostile crowd, so they deserve great credit.
“They won’t fear playing against Spain either. We’re up against the best team in the world but football is about challenges and these lads always relish those.”
Following Saturday’s defeat to the Czechs, Doolin’s side went back to the basics that stood to them so well in the qualifiers.
This was their fourth point from three group matches at the finals, hardly spectacular but enough to beat Greece to the second qualifying berth by a single point.
Doolin stuck to his pre-match promise of utilising his squad following Saturday’s energy-sapping work-out against the Czech by making two changes.
Aberdeen first-teamer Joe Shaughnessy was drafted into defence for his first appearance at the finals in place of Derrick Williams, while the manager went like-for-like in the lone striker’s role by bringing in Bray Wanderers front man Conor Murphy in place of Watford’s Connor Smith.
Spurred on by an expectant home crowd inside the compact Berceni Stadium, it was Romania who took the initiative from early on, with captain Ionut Nastasie on the right flank proving their main outlet.
Irish defender Anthony O’Connor, moved to left back in order to accommodate Shaughnessy slotting into central defence, was left in a spin by the talented Steaua Bucharest winger twice early on and was relieved to see the first effort flash wide of the far post and the second turned around the post by McCarey.
It was enough to rouse their partisan support that had been shorn of golden moments since they took a surprise lead against group victors Czech Republic in the first game before eventually losing 3-1.
Once Ireland settled and Jeff Hendrick got more of the ball in central midfield, the flow of passing which has become their hallmark during their eight-game campaign was in evidence.
Their first sniff at goal arrived midway through the half when Anthony Forde couldn’t wrap his foot around the ball on the edge of the box after John O’Sullivan set him up with a low cross.
Two more openings were carved out in the run-up to the break, each from corner kicks. A short corner by Seán Murray on 34 minutes teed up Forde for a deep cross and when his delivery was nodded back across goal by O’Connor, Shaughnessy could only head over from eight yards.
Ireland skipper John Egan profited from another pinpoint cross seven minutes later but he failed to get direction on his header.
Doolin’s side are more than just a set-piece team, though they do make the most of free-kicks and corners.
Eight minutes into the second half, Egan managed to outmuscle Romania’s Juventus goalkeeper Laurentiu Branescu in the air from a Murray lofted free into the box, allowing O’Connor to pounce on the loose ball and poke it into the unguarded net.
The celebrations were to last only a few seconds as referee Artyom Kuchin, rather than his assistant, was first to adjudge the Blackburn man was in an offside position.
That let-off for the home side would provoke their best spell of pressure. The attentions of Ireland defender Matt Doherty was just enough to distract Sebastian Chitosca as he was poised to head home a back-post header on the hour. Three minutes later, Cristian Gavra lifted the ball off the crossbar and over with his first touch after being introduced.
The Irish required fresh legs in attack and Doolin replaced Murphy with Smith to lead the attack for the final half hour.
O’Sullivan fed another substitute, Kevin Knight, on the left with 65 minutes on the clock and his low cross had slightly too much pace for the onrushing Smith to tap in at the far post.
There would still be one last chance for Romania to appease their inpatient fans, when Adrian Avramia rose to meet a corner but Samir Carruthers was there to hack the ball off the line.
It proved a night of high drama and these players are ready for another at the weekend.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND:McCarey (Wolves); Doherty (Wolves), Egan (Sunderland), Shaughnessy (Aberdeen), OConnor (Blackburn Rovers); Murray (Watford), Carruthers (Aston Villa), OSullivan (Blackburn Rovers), Hendrick (Derby County), Forde (Wolves); Murphy (Bray Wanderers).
Subs: Knight (unattached) for Murray (55 mins), Smith (Watford) for Murphy (63 mins), Wearen (West Ham Utd) for Carruthers (73 mins).
ROMANIA: Branescu; Gugu, Murgogi, Avramia, Remes; Nastasie, Benzar, Stanciu, Amet, Chitosca; Roman. Subs: Ilie for Gugu (46 mins), Gavra for Roman (62 mins), Walleth for Sebastian Chitosca (90+2 mins)
Referee: Artyom Kuchin (Kazakistan).
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