YOUNG IRELAND BEATEN BY ARMENIA
Sky Sports
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March 3 2010
Givens’ men at the foot of qualifying group
Republic of Ireland’s Under 21 side suffered a dismal 2-1 home defeat
at the hands of 10-man Armenia and are stuck at the foot of their
European Championship qualifying group.
Levon Hayrapetyan and Gevorg Ghazaryan both found the net for the
visitors before the break at Tallaght Stadium to complete the double
over Ireland.
Substitute Ian Daly’s 80th-minute strike proved to be nothing more
than scant consolation for the hosts, who had a man advantage for
the final 12 minutes after Masis Voskanyan was sent off for a second
bookable offence.
Don Givens’ side are now three points adrift at the bottom of Group
2 and without a win in their seven games to date.
They are not in qualifier action again until August, when they play
their final home game against Estonia, who lost 2-0 in Georgia earlier
in the day.
Givens made six changes to the side which lost the reverse fixture in
Yerevan 4-1 in November last year, and that meant returns for Everton
full-back Seamus Coleman and skipper Owen Garvan, who were injured
and suspended respectively that night.
Lively In a lively start, Hovannes Goharyan and Sean Scannell traded
efforts on goal, although the game was repeatedly interrupted by
referee Nerijus Dunauskas’ whistle.
Cillian Sheridan and Scannell also threatened as the game approached
the half-hour mark with the Republic pressing, but Darren Dennehy
and Goharyan were both shown yellow cards in quick succession in a
feisty contest.
However, for all Ireland’s pressure, it was the visitors who took the
lead when Hayrapetyan struck 11 minutes before the break, and worse was
to come for the home side six minutes later when Ghazaryan made it 2-0.
Given introduced Daly for Sunderland’s David Meyler at the break and
Sheridan and Alan Judge both went close as the half got under way.
West Ham striker Terry Dixon was handed his chance on his return
to the Under 21s set-up as a 62nd-minute replacement for Scannell,
and Armenia were reduced to 10 men when Voskanyan saw red.
Ireland made their numerical advantage tell within two minutes when
Daly pulled a goal back, but that proved little consolation as Armenia
held out to claim all three points.