McCarthy headed home Liam Kearney's 60th minute right wing cross to put the Irish in front, before Zayed slotted home a penalty ten minutes from the end.
Manager Gerry Smith described the game, in which all of the squad featured bar Liverpool's Darren Potter who has a slight knock, as 'a good exercise, and very pleasing for me as the players coped well with the conditions. The home team were a lot older than our side, so I was pleased with the effort shown.'
Smith's charges face their first game of the World Youth Championships in the Emirates next Saturday (at 1.45pm, Irish time), against Saudi Arabia in the Al-Ain stadium.