Republic of Ireland’s U21 team secured a crucial win with a staggering 7-0 victory over San Marino in their Group A Euro 2025 qualifier. The star of the match, Rocco Vata, scored thrice, while Sinclair Armstrong contributed a double. Standout performances were also seen from Andy Moran and Armstrong Okoflex, who solidified this impressive win for manager Jim Crawford’s squad.
The Irish U21s had previously had a streak of bad luck, managing only a single point in their last two group games against top-ranked competitors. In particular, a narrow defeat in Norway and a last-minute equaliser from Italy’s Willy Gnonto had left them feeling the pressure ahead of this game at the San Marino Stadium.
However, Crawford’s young team showed resilience, turning their previous disappointment into a stellar performance. In their previous encounter with San Marino, a brace from Vata, along with an own goal, had given Ireland victory. This time, the Celtic striker narrowly missed providing an assist in the match’s early stages when Anselmo Garcia McNulty’s header from his corner was scrambled away by the oppositon’s goalkeeper, Matteo Batistini.
Happily for the travelling team, both captain Joe Hodge and Andy Moran, who were due to join the senior squad, were included in the starting lineup and they didn’t disappoint. An early half-chance fell to Sinclair Armstrong but he narrowly missed the opener.
Nevertheless, at the game’s 25-minute mark, the home team’s defence was finally beaten. Armstrong, playing for QPR, graciously converted a spectacular team effort into the first goal of the game, thus scoring his fourth goal for his country.
Once the first goal was scored, the Irish team relentlessly looked for more. Despite Armstrong grazing the crossbar from close range, the team didn’t retreat. After the break, the onslaught continued with Tony Springett creating havoc on the right flank.
A touch of exasperation started to show among several Irish players, after they squandered a couple of opportunities from a close distance five minutes into the second half. Initially, a volley was deflected over by Springett, then both Vata and Armstrong failed to find the net despite having an ideal position.
However, sighs of relief replaced tension four minutes later, with Andy Moran impressively doubling their lead. He reacted promptly to take advantage of a free kick that Vata took, which Batistini, the San Marino goalkeeper, initially failed to hold onto.
Following this, the Irish team scored their third goal. It came after a well-executed movement on the right, as Matt Healy drove a low cross into a vulnerable area, followed by Armstrong’s sliding finish.
By the 60-minute mark, Vata displayed his talent, scoring two rapid goals on his own against San Marino. His first goal came as a result of some humourously bad defence from his opponents, and he volleyed into the net from inside the penalty area. He then found himself perfectly placed to deliver a powerful shot from 25 yards out, landing the ball in the bottom corner of the net, bringing the total to five.
The Irish team showed their dominance as Armstrong Okoflex, who came on as a substitute, fired a ball right into the top of the net. Vata then scored from close quarters to complete his hat-trick, adding a final flourish to a successful game. The Irish team now sets their sights on a challenging match against Turkey in their upcoming Euro qualifier in September.
The San Marino team consisted of Matteo Batistini, Giacomo Benvenuti, Giacomo Matteoni, Mattia Sancisi (substituted by Diego Zavoli in the 63rd minute); Simone Giocondi, Matteo Valli Casadei, Nicolo Sancisi (substituted by Nicolas Giacopetti in the 63rd minute), Nicolo Chiaruzzi (substituted by Marco Casadei in the 80th minute), Tommaso Benvenuti (substituted by Luca Terenzi in the 80th minute). Samuele Zannoni (substituted by Andrea Dolcini in the 73rd minute), Nicola D’Addario also featured in the team. Unused substitutes were Fabio Borasco, Tomasso Famiglietti, Alessandro Giambalvo and Filippo Pasaloni.
In the Republic of Ireland, the following team line-up was noted: Josh Keeley remained the key player, whilst Sam Curtis made way for Sean Grehan in the 65th minute. Others such as Bosun Lawal, Anselmo Garcia McNulty, and Tayo Adaramola also took the field. Also, Joe Hodge played before being replaced by Killian Phillips at the 75-minute mark, while Matt Healy and Andrew Moran, who was switched out for Zak Gilsenan at 70 minutes, were also part of the formation. Tony Springett left the pitch to make room for Armstrong Oko-Flex on the 65th-minute mark, and Sinclair Armstrong similarly switched with Mark O’Mahony at the same time, while Rocco Vata retained his place.
The substitutes who did not feature in the game were Tiernan Brooks, Connor O’Riordan, Alex Murphy, and Calum Kavanagh. The Ukrainian referee presiding over the match was Viktor Kopiievskyi.