Ireland forced to settle for draw with Latvia in tense under-21 qualifier

Despite registering goals through Sinclair Armstrong and Sean Roughan, the Republic of Ireland were forced to settle for a draw with Latvia in a tense Uefa European Under-21 qualifier at Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday night.
Whereas it was only in the closing minutes of their clash with Turkey in Istanbul last Friday that Ireland finally claimed a breakthrough, there were just over 15 minutes gone on the clock when Jim Crawford’s side took the lead in this contest. After he had his initial shot saved by Latvian netminder Janis Beks, Amstrong shook the net from close range to give Ireland a dream start.
Yet after the woodwork cruelly denied Rocco Vata a second Irish goal in the 37th minute, the hosts found themselves on level terms when Kaspars Anmanis coolly fired beyond the reach of custodian Josh Keeley just before the interval.
This offered the visitors considerable confidence heading into the second half, and after Keeley failed to gather a Roberts Melkis cross on 63 minutes, substitute Ivans Patrikejevs was ideally placed to nod Latvia into the lead.
While this was a set-back for Ireland, they restored parity within a couple of minutes as Andrew Moran picked out Sean Roughan at a left-hand angle, and the marauding full-back fired past Beks in clinical style.
This looked set to re-energise their challenge, but with a winning goal evading them on this occasion, second-placed Ireland are left just two points in front of Norway ahead of their meeting at Turner’s Cross on October 11th.
Republic of Ireland: Keeley; Curtis, Abankwah, Garcia MacNulty, Roughan; Vata (Oko-Flex, 79 mins), Hodge, Healy; O’Neill (Emakhu, 64 mins), Armstrong (Kenny, 79 mins), Moran.
Latvia: Beks; Rascevskis (Druzinins, 57 mins), Vientiess, Reingolcs, Maslovs; Kauselis (Rekis, 67 mins), Anmanis, Penkevics, Melkis; Patika, Melnis (Patrikejevs, 46 mins).
Referee: S Ebner (Austria).