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| Ireland triumph in Madeira Tournament |
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Ireland entered the final fixture of this International Tournament as very much the underdogs. Portugal, who boast a phenomenal record at all underage levels, only required a draw to lift the Trophy. Manager Don Givens selected Glasgow Celtic centre back Darren O'Dea for his first start of the Tournament and switched Arsenal starlet Anthony Stokes to a more orthodox striking role alongside Stephen Ward of Bohemians. Fulham midfielder Michael Timlin returned from his one match suspension to captain the side. Ireland got off to the best possible start with a goal after three minutes. The industrious Ward linked with Stephen Grant of Waterford United and the midfielder, a very late addition to the squad, drove a fierce shot to the net. The goal provided Ireland with a tremendous boost and enabled them to play with calmness and composure throughout the first half. Towards the end of the half, Grant came close to his second goal but was just off target. Ireland did reap the rewards of their first half endeavour just two minutes before the break. The exciting seventeen year old Stokes, delivered a delicate pass behind the Portuguese defence for Ward who struck a left foot shot to the back of the net. Portugal attempted to raise the tempo after the interval but Ireland stayed steadfast and countered their efforts with assurance. Indeed, Ireland came close to extending their lead when the virtuoso Stokes just failed with an audacious effort from inside his own half. The Irish players played with great commitment and desire and were largely untroubled until the very last minute of ordinary time when Portugal scored from a free kick from just outside the penalty area. Despite this setback, Ireland remained resolute and played out the remainder of the match in a professional manner. Ireland's success in this Tournament was unexpected, because of the withdrawal for varying reasons of fifteen selected players. The players who ultimately formed the squad in Madeira played with great pride and ambition. After a stuttering start against the hosts, the Irish players and management applied themselves with great diligence and each successive performance showed an upward graph. Irish supporters applaud the efforts of all who contributed to this success and look forward to sharing many more happy days in the future. Team Substitutes |
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