Kerr's boys do it again

A determined performance from Neville Southall's Welsh under-16s denied the Republic of Ireland a 100 per cent winning record in this week's UEFA European Championship qualifying mini-tournament; but despite a late charge by the visitors for the single goal they required at Tolka Park last night it was Brian Kerr's side that progressed to next summer's finals in Israel.

Ireland dominated the game until the last 10 minutes or so and had a couple of clearcut chances early in the second period to wrap up their place at the top of the qualifying table.

When Welsh goalkeeper Gari Evans fluffed a straightforward catch two minutes after the break Stockport striker Jonathan Daly seemed certain to score from no more than a couple of yards but instead his shot crashed off the foot of the left-hand post before skimming across the face of the goal and wide to the right.

A quarter of an hour later a fine run by full-back Graham Gartland set up David Murphy with another chance to kill the game off but this time the shot was wide and the Welsh stayed in the hunt.

With Sweden on their way to beating Switzerland at Oriel Park from early on - they eventually won the game 3-1 - Southall knew that a single goal would be enough to grab the finals place from under the noses of the Irish and late on the visitors attacked determinedly in the hope of repeating the 1-0 victory they managed when these two sides last met at under-15 level.

For all their work, though, the visitors simply couldn't find a way through the home side's defence and when substitute Daniel McTaggart finally did get the opportunity to get in a strike on goal the shot was rushed and well wide.

The Welsh had actually started the game brightly enough, Kristian Dimond producing the first shot of the night after just seven minutes. But before long they were being consistently forced to retreat into their own half where only some tireless work enabled them to keep the Irish strikers at bay.

Southall's defence, though, quickly showed that they weren't afraid of a scrap and their industry at the back and determination to deny the Irish any time or space on the ball made things very difficult for the likes of Daly, Murphy and Leonard Walker as they poked and prodded in search on an opening.

The home side's first move was probably its best in the opening period with Mark Rossiter's throw from the right flicked on by Murphy for Walker. The Leeds United player shook off his marker neatly with a tight turn as he stepped into the box but his low shot was straight at Wales goalkeeper Gari Evans.

Brennan and Daly missed the target with subsequent efforts and even when Brennan finally did find the mark again with a well-struck drive from 25 yards just over a quarter of the way into the match Evans scarcely had to move to make the save.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Henderson (Aston Villa); Rossiter (Sunderland), Kelly (Belvedere Boys), McCarthy (Manchester United), Gartland (Home Farm); Murphy (Celtic), Brennan (Newcastle Utd), Capper (Sunderland), Foley (Liverpool); Walker (Leeds Utd), Daly (Stockport County).

WALES: Evans; J Collins, C Collins, Giles; James, Pipe, Dimond, Fowler, Woodyatt; Davies, Stiens. Subs: McTaggart for Davies (65 mins); Williams for James (78 mins); Sudlow for Stiens (80 mins).

Referee: K Mamedov (Azerbaijan).