Ireland see off Scots in style

Under-21 Friendly/Rep of Ireland 3 Scotland 1: Don Givens's side added further substance to their growing reputation as they stretched their unbeaten sequence to 11 matches with a thoroughly dominant first-half display sufficient to comfortably see off the challenge of Scotland at Terryland Park last night.

After a cautious start, Ireland made their first real bout of concerted pressure tell to take a 10th-minute lead.

An interchange of passes between Glenn Whelan and Irish captain Stephen Kelly saw the former pick out the run of Kevin Foley. The control was immediate with a low left-foot strike bringing the first corner of the night from Craig Samson's diving save.

Whelan was there again to win another corner on the far side as a defender deflected his low drive away from goal.

The pressure then told as John Fitzgerald met Foley's perfectly weighted corner to open the scoring with a glancing header.

The Scots were level within four minutes from a fine strike of their own. Celtic's Craig Beattie worked a one-two with Scott Morrison and, from an angle, beat Wayne Henderson in the Irish goal with a crisply struck curling right-foot shot from the edge of the area.

Ireland responded to regain the lead six minutes later as the crowd of some 2,000 had a second Irish goal to cheer.

This time Whelan, following a foul on Jay Tabb by Andrew Dowie, whipped a free-kick to the back post and Paddy McCarthy stooped to head home .

With the chances coming thick and fast, another goal had to come and Ireland duly stretched their lead on 34 minutes when once more Scotland's defending from a set-piece was effectively non-existent.

Darren Potter was fouled by Gregor Robertson to win another free-kick from a dangerous position out on the left. Liam Kearney's perfectly paced delivery was met again by Fitzgerald who dispatched another header beyond the overworked Samson.

Scotland enjoyed much of the possession throughout a far less enthralling second half, but it was Ireland who continued to make the chances.

Murphy should have extended the winning margin on 80 minutes, but blazed over from Whelan's diagonal ball while McCarthy forced an acrobatic save from Greame Smith as Ireland finished with the flourish that had won the match much earlier on.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Henderson (Aston Villa); Kelly (Tottenham Hotspur), McCarthy (Manchester City), Fitzgerald (Blackburn Rovers), Capper (Scarborough United); K Foley (Luton Town), Whelan (Manchester City), Potter (Liverpool), Kearney (Cork City); D Murphy (Waterford United), Tabb (Brentford). Subs: B Murphy (Swansea City) for Henderson (at half-time), Zayed (Bray Wanderers) for Tabb (70 mins), Brennan (Newcastle United) for Foley (81 mins), Behan (Cork City) for D Murphy and M Foley (Liverpool) for Kearney (both 87 mins).

SCOTLAND: Samson; Dowie, Lawson, Robertson; Wilson, McCunnie, Prunty, Morrison, Lappin; Boyd, Beattie. Subs: Smith and Fotheringham for Samson and Beattie (both at half-time), Sweeney for Morrison (56 mins), Murray for Lawson (68 mins).

Referee: S Johannesson (Sweden).