During last night’s intense match at Esenler Stadium in Istanbul, the Republic of Ireland’s Uefa European Under-21 Championship qualification took a significant leap forward thanks to an 84th-minute goal by Sam Curtis. This key strike against Turkey enabled the team to climb to the second position in Group A, overtaking Norway in the process. Now, with an upcoming game with Latvia scheduled for next Tuesday on home soil, the Irish side is closer than ever to qualifying for their first European Championship finals at the Under-21 level.
Even though Turkish striker Ugur Kaan Yildiz did threaten the Irish goal early on, goalkeeper Josh Keeley was up to the task and the Republic’s defence effectively neutralised Turkey’s initial offensive pushes. Throughout the majority of the match, no clear victor emerged, and a draw seemed more and more likely as time progressed.
However, the momentum shifted in the Irish favour during the second half. With midfield partners Joe Hodge and Matt Healy taking control of the play, the Republic began to dominate. Sinclair Armstrong exhibited his exceptional speed 49 minutes into the match as he attempted a shot, yet his effort was thwarted by Turkish goalie Emre Bilgin who successfully maintained a 0-0 scoreline.
In surrendering a goal near the end of the game, though, the Turkish side found themselves on the back foot. Curtis, having received a well-placed pass from Hodge, made his telling mark by finally breaking the deadlock, shifting the entire trajectory of the battle and propelling the Irish team closer to their ultimate goal. Jim Crawford, Ireland’s manager, smartly augmented his team by bringing on Mark O’Mahony at the 77th minute mark, in a move that showed his tactical acumen. Ireland’s pursuit of European Championship qualification is now riding a wave of significantly increased momentum as a result of this hard-earned victory.
Curtis, currently a loanee at Peterborough United from Sheffield United in EFL League One, was selected on the right wing with a skilled pass from Hodge. The footballer from Meath expertly received the ball and shot it impeccably out of Bilgin’s reach.
The final moments of the match were filled with tension as Turkey unceasingly attacked the penalty box trying to find an equalising goal. Indeed, the post even shook from a close-range strike by the home team. However, Ireland successfully withstood these attempts, which could result in a vital victory for them.
The Turkish team consisted of Bilgin, Altikardes (who was replaced by Altunbas at 80 minutes), Saatci (Gureler came in at 64 minutes), Yildiz, Ozcan, Konak (Akman substituted Konak at 71 minutes), Elmaz, Burcu (Onal took over at 62 minutes), Baltaci and Canak (Ince was brought in at 71 minutes) along with Hekimoglu.
The Republic of Ireland fielded Keeley, Curtis, MacNulty, Garcia, Roughan, Abankwah, O’Riordan, Moran, Healy, Hodge and Emakhu (Adeeko was his replacement at 68 minutes). Armstrong was also brought in and replaced with O’Mahony at the 77-minute mark.
The match was officiated by referee A Kourgheli from Belarus.