O'Toole comes off bench to head late winner

Under-21 International: Republic of Ireland 1, Bulgaria 0The Republic of Ireland under-21 side ended their goal famine thanks to a fine injury-time winner from substitute John Joe O'Toole against Bulgaria in the Uefa Under-21 Championships qualifiers in Athlone last night.

Watford midfielder O'Toole connected with a 93rd-minute cross from Eddie Nolan to head home from eight yards out.

The goal secured the first three points for the Irish and it was their first competitive goal since August last year.

A note of controversy emerged before kick-off when Burnley midfielder Chris McCann's name did not appear on the Irish team-sheet.

The ex-Home Farm youngster is believed to have left the squad after Don Givens declined to include him in the starting line-up.

Alan Sheehan, who was born in Athlone, came close to marking his homecoming with a spectacular opening goal in the ninth minute but goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov made a brilliant save.

Stephen Quinn then had a looping effort clawed away for a corner by Mihaylov in the 14th minute. The Irish pressure should have produced a goal in first-half injury-time but Joe O'Cearuill shot over from two yards out after an Anthony Stokes free-kick hit an upright.

Bulgarian midfielder Vladimir Gadzhev had two powerful attempts in two minutes well saved by Irish goalkeeper Darren Quigley early in the second half.

Mihaylov was sharp again in the 67th minute when he pushed an Adam Rooney flicked effort from a Sheehan delivery around his near post.

Gadzhev was denied by Quigley again three minutes later but he should have done better than fire straight at the Irish stopper after a cut-back from Nikolay Dimitrov.

The home side were lucky to survive a strong penalty appeal by Bulgaria as the game entered its final moments but they hit back when a fine effort by Stokes in the 83rd minute was parried once again by Mihaylov.

Just when it seemed like four successive blank score-lines would haunt the Irish, O'Toole popped up to become the hero.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U21:Quigley (UCD); Nolan (Blackburn), O'Dea (Celtic), O'Cearuill (Barnet), Powell (Bohemians), Gleeson (Wolves), Quinn (Sheffield Utd) (O'Toole (Watford) 83), Sheehan (Leicester), O'Brien (Celtic) (Downes (Everton) 88), Rooney (Stoke City) (Sammon (UCD) 73), Stokes (Sunderland).

BULGARIA U21:Mihaylov; Bodurov, Ivanov, Dimitrov, Bandalovski, Baltanov (Kurdov 73), Petrov (Starokin 90), Fidanin, Domovchiyski, Gadzhev, Popov (Kiki 46).

Referee:Jerome Laperriere (Switzerland)