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A late winner from defender Vergard Bergan earned the Norwegian U19s a second win of the week against their Irish counterparts at Belfield on Thursday afternoon.

After an uneventful opening period Norway took the lead through centre forward Alexander Sorloth with Sam Byrne grabbing an opportunistic equaliser on 71 minutes. But Norway then stepped on the gas and struck the woodwork twice before Bergan’s winning header six minutes from time.

Ireland started the better of the two teams albeit without seriously threatening the Norwegian goal and when the visitors opened the scoring it came against the run of play.

Iver Fossum broke through the middle and fed Bard Finne to his left. Finne then cut inside and struck a fierce shot that cannoned off the underside of Aaron Myles’s goal before bouncing kindly for the lurking Sorloth who headed to the empty net from ppoint blank range.

For the most part Ireland defended well and passed the ball about well but Norway grew in stature as the half progressed and were worthy of their lead by the time the half time whistle blew.

Sam Byrne, a 42nd minute replacement for the injured Conor Wilkinson, proved Ireland’s most influential player in the second half, holding the ball up well and disributing the ball with precision and ambition. But when he equalised on 71 minutes there was more than a hint of good fortune about it.

Goalkeeper, Ole Hermann Opheim, took a short pass from impressive centre back Bjorn Inge Uivik and inexplicably directed the ball straight to Byrne who happily planted the ball in the all but unguarded net from close range.

A draw would have been a good result for Ireland but Norway, perhaps displeased with the nature of the equaliser, redouble their efforts. Mariin Troen headed inches over from a corner on 74 minutes and three minutes later Kasper Skanes clipped a wonderful shot off the Irish crossbar.

Two minutes after that the Irish bar was trembling once more, this time struck by an ill-directed defensive effort from substitute Evan Finnegan, again from a corner. And it was a corner kick that ultimately provided the winner when Zymer Bytyqi’s delivery was powered home at the near post by Bergan.

Republic of Ireland: Aaron Myles; Sean Long, Ryan McConnell, Kyle McFadden, Sean Coyne; Dean O’Halloran, Jack Byrne, Alan Browne, Connor Dimaio (Noe Baba 61), Alan Wixted (Evan Finnegan 77); Conor Wilkinson (Sam Byrne 42).

Subs not used: Eric Grimes (gk), Jake Mulraney, Cody Mulhall, Eoghan O’Connell.

Booked: None.

Norway: Ole Hermann Opheim; Jon Hodnemyr, Vergard Bergan, Marius Hoibraten, Kent-Are Antonsen (Bjorn Inge Uivik 55); Kasper Skaanes, Frederik Aursnes (Zymer Bytyqi 67), Kamer Qaka (Morien Strand 67), Iver Fossum, Bard Finne (Mariin Troen 54); Alexander Sorloth.

Subs not used: Pal Vesily Heigre (gk), Alexander Jones, Sondre Tronstad.

Booked: None.

Referee: Rob Harvey.

Attendance: 274

Extratime Man of the Match: Bard Finne (Norway).