European Under-21 qualifier: Republic of Ireland v Slovakia, Turner’s Cross, Friday, 7.30pm – Live on RTÉ 2
A good week for Irish underage football could become a great one if Jim Crawford’s under-21s can maintain their winning start to European Championship qualification at Turner’s Cross on Friday night.
The manager was beaming on Tuesday when he heard the Government’s commitment of an annual €3 million grant to League of Ireland academies.
Eighteen of his 22-man squad have emerged through that pathway, and Crawford views the financial commitment as the “first steps” towards building a true football industry in the country.
His more immediate concern is step three of Ireland’s bid to reach a first-ever European Under-21 Championships.
It’s a clash of unbeaten teams on Leeside after the Boys in Green and Slovakia each defeated Moldova and Andorra last month to begin their campaigns.
The visiting Falcons were somewhat more impressive in dispatching the Group D minnows, scoring six goals. Ireland netted three times as they took over an hour to secure a winning position in both games.
While under-21 football is focused on development, Crawford believes it’s an age where players learn how to win games.
“You have to accept that not every game is going to be nice and pretty and blue skies and roses in the garden. Sometimes you’ve got to win ugly,” he said.
“Turner’s Cross is a tighter pitch than Tallaght, so you just don’t know what way this game is going to shape up.
“We played Italy in Turner’s Cross and it was by no means a controlled, tactical game. It was more guts and getting after the opposition. This game could be the very same.”
Ireland have pieced together an impressive record between Cork and Tallaght. They will hope to extend their unbeaten streak to 12 consecutive home games ahead of November’s trip to face England.
It could be a doubly momentous night for Michael Noonan. The 17-year-old striker became the youngest-ever goalscorer for Ireland Under-21s last month by breaking the siege against Andorra.
While he’ll be bidding to make a similar impact against Slovakia, Noonan could end the evening as a League of Ireland champion if Shamrock Rovers get the point they need against Shelbourne in Tallaght.
Meanwhile, captain James Abankwah and senior international Rocco Vata will return to a new club manager this weekend. Their boss at Watford, Paulo Pezzolano, was sacked on Wednesday, with Javi Gracia announced as his replacement.
“I found out through social media like everyone else,” said Abankwah. “But I’m here now with Ireland, so I’m not really focused on that at the moment.
“It’s a massive game, but we’ve done all our homework on them. We’re ready, we’re confident and we’re all looking forward to the game.”
Crawford had hoped to have Manchester United prospect Jack Moorhouse available for the Slovakia match. However, his passport application remains in progress.
The Manchester-born teenager qualifies through his paternal grandparents from Dublin and Mayo. Moorhouse, who is playing regularly on loan at Leyton Orient, made his international debut in a friendly against Scotland last March and trained with the Under-21s this week, but awaits the final paperwork to play in a competitive fixture.
