European U-18 Preview

Brian Kerr's Ireland under-18 team seeks to complete the job of qualification for this summer's European Youth Championships in Sweden this evening. Leading two goals to one after the first leg, they take on Northern Ireland (kick-off 7.30) at Tolka Park.

The home side's manager has most of the players who played in Belfast back in March available, although he will be without West Ham's highly rated midfielder Shaun Byrne, who is injured. Liverpool's Richie Partridge, whose season has been badly disrupted by injury, is also out having been expected to be back in action by the time the game came around. There was better news for Kerr yesterday, however, when another Anfield player, central defender Kevin Doherty, came through the squad's training without any injury problems after initially having been withdrawn by his club last week. "Kevin seems to be fine," said Kerr yesterday before adding, "we were told that he would be out, but then he played 70 minutes of a friendly for Liverpool against Peterborough on Friday morning, so we have informed the club that we've put him back into the squad." If completely fit, Doherty is almost certain to start in the centre of defence alongside Jason Gavin of Middlesbrough who has now made the first team at the Riverside.

Celtic's Ger Crossley and Liam Miller are likely to paired together in midfield, while at the front Gary Doherty and Trevor Fitzpatrick will presumably have done enough to keep their places.

In the wide positions, though, there are more question marks with John Frost still in doubt due to injury and several other selections depending on whether he makes it. The visitors, who will be under a fair amount of pressure to come out and attack this evening, will have their highly-rated striker Warren Feeney of Leeds United back for the clash. The FAI, meanwhile, have accepted an invitation to send an under-18 team to a tournament in the Netherlands at the end of this month. The Ivory Coast is the only other nation competing in the event which will mainly involve underage sides from leading European clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Ireland (possible): Delaney (Everton); Healy (Celtic), K Doherty (Liverpool), Gavin (Middlesbrough), Murphy (Blackburn); Baker (Shelbourne), Crossley (Celtic), Miller (Celtic), Drew (Home Farm Everton); Fitzpatrick (Southend Utd), G Doherty (Luton).