Tottenham winger Peter Gain scored a superb goal on his Republic of Ireland Under-21 debut, but his team let the lead slip in their European Championship qualifier against Lithuania in Alytus. And another Irish debut maker, full back Thomas Morgan, was carried off on a stretcher with an ugly gash in his knee after a terrible challenge by Lithuania's Samiovas who was, amazingly, only booked.
It left his Under-21 team manager Ian Evans struggling to contain his fury on the bench.
Ireland still went on to dominate much of the game and they took command despite fielding an experimental line-up, including six changes from the side that lost 1-0 in Iceland on Friday.
Gain's goal was a perfect reward for their nimble football. Kevin Maher set it up in the 65th minute with a header into the path of substitute Willy Boland and the Coventry midfielder back-heeled the ball for Gain to stride purposefully into the box and finish crisply into the far corner.
But within six minutes the hardearned lead had been wiped out and then overhauled.
Lithuania's Arturas, who had missed an easier chance just seconds earlier, equalised in the 69th minute, racing clear down the middle to slip the ball past goalkeeper Brendan Murphy.
And after 72 minutes, with the Irish defence suddenly under siege, wing back Oresta Buitkus headed home off the bar from Tomas Razanauskas' free-kick.
The Republic were denied a golden opportunity for the equaliser when Dominic Foley was flattened from behind in the six-yard box as he tried to head home a Steve Finnan corner with 12 minutes left.
Lithuania: Leus, Buitkus, Gleveckas, Dedura, Dziaukstas, Graziunas (Zutautas 60), Razanauskas, Ksanavicius (Kruminas 66), Samusiovas, Semberas, Fomenko (Zvilauskas 84). Subs Not Used: Lenkutis, Vasiliauskas. Booked: Samusiovas. Goals: Buitkus 72, Fomenko 69.
Rep Of Ireland: Murphy, Morgan (Boland 11), Robert Quinn, Worrell, Darcy, Maher, Finnan, Mahon, Kelly (Scully 70), Foley, Gain. Subs Not Used: Carr, R Quinn, Whelan. Goals: Gain 65.
Referee: T Ourevo (Norway).
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