Sean McCaffrey’s U17 team lined up against Tournament favourites Denmark in their final Group A match in the excellent Kopavogsvollur Stadium on a bright but breezy Friday afternoon. With both countries having been successful in their opening two fixtures, the match became in effect a knock-out semi-final. Denmark, by stint of their better goal difference held the advantage as a draw would send them through to the final.

Manager, McCaffrey made three changes to the starting eleven, which had defeated host nation Iceland on the previous Wednesday. Kilkenny native, Garry Breen who has just joined Manchester City, returned to the centre of defence for the American born, Conor Murphy. The Cavan born Killian Sheridan who plays with Dublin’s Belvedere replaced Mark O’Toole of Tottenham Hotspur and the dynamic Meath man, Donal McDermott, now of Manchester City came in for MK Dons, Chris Day.

The opening stages of the match took on a very cautious contour despite the fact that Sean McCaffrey had chosen to continue with an adventurous 4-3-3 attacking system. Their numerical advantage in midfield enabled the Danes to retain the greater share of possession but they did not present any great threat to the Irish defence.

The first moment of note arrived on ten minutes when Killian Sheridan, attacking the old inside left channel, unleashed a swerving twenty five yard volley which beat the goalkeeper and rattled the crossbar. Stung into greater action by this close call the Danes raised their tempo and created a scoring opportunity four minutes late but Nottingham Forest bound goalkeeper Shane Redmond came off his line to narrow the gap and splendidly deflected the near post shot with his feet for a corner.

Seconds later a momentary lapse in defensive concentration allowed the Danes a further opportunity but the striker shot wide. Ireland recovered their poise and exchanges remained fairly even over the next ten minutes or so. The Danes did continue to enjoy the greater proportion of possession but their attempts to breach the Irish rearguard invariably foundered on the midfield axis provided by Cherry Orchard duo, Michael Daly and Stephen Lawless who both more than justified their late call up to the squad.

The tone of the match changed dramatically in the twenty fifth minute when Donal McDermott who had repeatedly pressurised the Danish defence, dispossessed their centre back some forty yards from goal and then displaying admirable control and pace raced into the penalty area and calmly drove Ireland into the lead. Within a minute of the restart McDermott again dispossessed a Danish defender but on this occasion his shot from an acute angle was saved.

Denmark who continued to play neat possession football across midfield were given a scoring opportunity on twenty eight minutes when a back peddling Irish defence failed to close down a midfield attacker and allowed him a shot which fortunately went over the crossbar. A few minutes later, the industrious Daly was unlucky to be cautioned for what was a relatively innocuous tackle.

As the half came to a close, Irish captain, Lorcan Fitzgerald of West Ham United picked up a weak Danish clearance some ten yards outside the penalty area and struck a screaming left foot drive just wide. The final event of the half saw a Danish free kick, from the edge of the penalty area go marginally wide of the Irish goalposts.

The Irish defence came under an increased degree of pressure at the commencement of the second half and four minutes in, the Sunderland bound centre back Gavin Donoghue suffered a head injury in clearing the ball but happily he resumed after treatment. In the forty ninth minute, Crystal Palace striker Tom Lyons, who had worked tirelessly across the front line, was replaced by Terry Dixon of Tottenham Hotspur.

Denmark continued to press and on fifty eight minutes a dangerous cross from the left resulted in an ugly looking collision involving four players on the edge of the Irish six yard box. Following some treatment from physio Declan Mahon, the Irish trio of Donoghue, Fitzgerald and Redmond recovered and played on. The Danish striker involved in the collision had to be substituted. In the fifty eight minute, Limerick’s Shane Duggan from the Fairview club replaced Killian Sheridan in the Irish midfield

Possible disappointment was on the cards for Ireland when with sixty two minutes on the clock, a Danish attack down their right resulted in good low cross being delivered into the penalty area and tucked coolly into the net by the central striker. With Denmark now holding the advantage, Ireland sought to redress the situation and forced a right wing corner in the sixty eighth minute. The corner was delivered a little too close to the Danish goal presenting an easy catching opportunity for the goalkeeper, however, he allowed the ball to slip through his grasp and Terry Dixon was on hand to steer Ireland back into the lead.

With the clock beginning to run down, Donal McDermott was cautioned for alleged time wasting. Ireland maintained their composure and forced a corner on the left hand side. McDermott’s excellent delivery was met at the far post by Breen but his powerful header struck the crossbar and was cleared. With seven minutes remaining, the Danes worked another scoring opportunity but the shot was straight at Redmond who held it comfortably in what was a faultless performance from the goalkeeper throughout the match.

One minute later, Ireland struck the final telling blow when an Irish free kick, was cleared by the Danish defence to St Josephs starlet Corie Treacy who was filling in at right back for the injured Andrew Callaghan of Millwall. Treacy drove the ball low into the penalty area where it arrived at the feet of the completely unmarked Terry Dixon, who showed fine composure to slot the ball past the goalkeeper.

Ireland played out the closing stages comfortably and both Chris Day and Mark O’Toole saw a brief glimpse of action when they replaced Belvedere’s Karl Byrne and Donal McDermott respectively. The team left the pitch in the knowledge that they would face old foes, England who had easily claimed Group B, in the Nordic Cup Final.

Final Group Standings:

Ireland Results Summary:

3 v 2 Norway Scorers: T Lyons, D McDermott, K Sheridan
2 v 0 Iceland Scorers: T Dixon, K Byrne
3 v 1 Denmark Scorers: D McDermott, T Dixon 2