Republic of Ireland 6

Andorra 0

Denis Hurley reports from Turner’s Cross

THE REPUBLIC OF Ireland U17 side impressed at Turner’s Cross on Tuesday night as they saw off Andorra to begin their qualifying series for the European Championships in positive fashion.

Set on their way by Robert Mahon’s second-minute opener, Colin O’Brien’s side played a stylish brand of football and by half time, had moved into a 4-0 lead before augmenting their advantage late in the second half.

Right winger Sinclair Armstrong was a constant threat in the first half and low crosses from him provided the opener for Mahon as well as the second goal on 22 minutes, the ball turned in by a defender.

It was 3-0 on 24, Evan Ferguson getting his first as he headed home from Ben McCormack’s corner, and the centre-forward got his second and Ireland’s fourth four minutes later as he applied the finish following a smooth build-up from Omotayo Adaramola, Armstrong and McCormack. But for Marc De Castro Prat in the Andorran goal, further goals might have accrued from McCormack and Mahon before half-time.

The second half lacked the verve of the first, the game’s flow affected by substitutions, but Ireland continued to dominate. Colin Conroy had the fifth when his cross wasn’t dealt with by De Castro Prat and then Conroy provided the assist for the sixth and final goal, scored by sub Calum Kavanagh.

Next up for Ireland is a clash on Friday with Montenegro, who lost 1-0 to Israel at St Colman’s Park in Cobh in the group’s other game.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Daniel Rose (Everton); Gavin O’Brien (Bohemians), Leigh Kavanagh (Bray Wanderers), Anselmo Garcia McNulty (Wolfsburg), Omotayo Adaramola (Crystal Palace); Colin Conroy (Bohemians), Kyle Martin-Conway (St Patrick’s Athletic); Sinclair Armstrong (Shamrock Rovers), Ben McCormack (St Patrick’s Athletic), Robert Mahon (Bohemians); Evan Ferguson (Bohemians).

Subs: Oliver O’Neill (Fulham) for Armstrong, Oran Crowe (Cork City) for Martin-Conway (both half-time), Kalin Barlow (Sligo Rovers) for O’Brien, Andrew Moran (Sligo Rovers) for McCormack (both 61), Calum Kavanagh (Middlesbrough) for Ferguson (73).

ANDORRA: Marc De Castro Prat; Joan Guardia Tauste, Eric Del Pozo Sanjaume, Marc Rodrigues Trave, Iker Alvarez Sanchez; Marc Rossell Fort, Pau Silva Torra, Pau Klaus Babot Müller, Marti Puigsegur Calvo; Daniel Alonso Izquierdo, Ot Remolins Planes.

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Subs: Oriol Checa Rubio for Puigsegur Calvo, Daniel Cerqueira Carvalho for Silva Torra (both 61), Gerard Sola Garcia for Alonso Izquierdo (70), Xavier Palou Roca for Alvarez Sanchez, Youssef Arrahaoui Ferreira for Rossell Fort (both 83).

Referee: Aleksei Matiunin (Russia).

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