Irish Schools beat Wales - February 17, 2000
Ireland 1 Wales 0
Hugh Colhoun's Irish Schools team got their international year off to a good start with a 1-0 win over Wales at Terryland Park on Saturday. A 22nd-minute direct free kick by Brendan Sweeney was enough to give the Irish boys victory, after the Welsh had lived dangerously from the start.
Ireland's Ashley White wen close from a corner in the second minute and Welsh 'keeper Hooper-Nash made a fingertip save from a Jason Moran free, before Noel Hunt's chip was cleared off the line by a defender.
But Hooper-Nash could do nothing when Terry White was fouled and Sweeney planted the free in the top corner.
The Welsh drew two good saves from Irish 'keeper Shane Davoren in the second half, but Patrick Mulvihill could have wrapped it up for Ireland in the closing stages when he broke through on goals - substitute 'keeper Hughes spreading himself well to block with his legs.
Ireland next face Slovakia in Bratislava on April 2 and then Northern Ireland in Bangor on April 6 before a mouth-watering clash with England at Old Trafford in May.
Ireland: Shane
Davoren (Old Bawn CS, Dublin), Daryl Brack
(Presentation Bray), Terry White (CBS
Deerpark, Cork), Neil Beasley (Chanel College,
Dublin), Ashley White (St. Macartan's, Monaghan),
Brendan Sweeney (CBS Deerpark), Henry Glynn (St. Mary's College, Galway), Patrick Mulvihill (Marist College, Athlone), Noel Hunt (Mount Sion CBS, Waterford), Jason Moran (St. Mary's, Galway), Fergus Quinn (St. Muiredeach's, Ballina)
Subs: Brian
Mooney (Drimnagh Castle, Dublin) for Black 58, Keith
O'Neill (Chanel College) for Quinn 58, Gareth McGlynn
(Scoil Mhuire, Donegal) for Hunt 80
Goal: Sweeney 22
Wales: R Hooper-Nash, C Thomas, R Barry, D Blain, A Thomas, R Harding, R Jones, R Williams, R Cookson, J Hammond, R Ryan
Subs: John for Blain 59, Elliot for Jones 59, Bowler for Ryan 59, Hughes for Harding 70, Hughes for Hooper-Nash 75