Ireland A get back on track

Ireland A got back to winning ways against Belgium U21 yesterday, as Brian Doherty’s pair of first-half drag-flicks set them on their way to a 3-0 win at Serpentine Avenue. Bruce McCandless finished off a slick team goal for the third as the Irish fielded a side with three Munster-based players, Jonny Bruton, Adam Pritchard and Andy Herbert (pictured), plus ex-pats Conor Harte and Jason Lynch. Meanwhile, Catholic Institute’s Rebecca Barry was on the scoresheet for the Irish U16 girls against their Belgian counterparts, but despite being level at the break they couldn’t repeat their opening-day win as the visitors went on to win 3-1. The U16 boys also went down by the same scoreline, despite controlling the game for long periods as they had done in the sides’ first encounter – which ended in a 4-1 defeat – on Tuesday. A technically superior Belgian side needed a fortunate 29th-minute penalty stroke to take the lead – the ball hit an Irish foot en route to goal but with the goalkeeper positioned behind the defender, a corner seemed a fairer decision. Nonetheless, with Bandon’s Darren Sweetnam at the hub of the Irish effort, they drew level after the break thanks to a lovely Josh Moffett deflection. C of I’s Nick Burns saw his reverse well saved not long after, but two tidy goals sealed the deal for the Belgians.