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And in front of a partizan 20,000 crowd, including 1998 World Cup winning manager Aime Jacquet.
Following last month’s 4-2 reverse in Switzerland, this was a second defeat on the bounce for Don Givens’s side – a miserable dip in fortunes after an unbeaten run that had stretched to 13 games.
They must now take maximum points in home games against the French and the Swiss next year to have any chance of reaching the finals.
However, despite only falling behind in the 85th minute, the Irish side were fortunate to have been level to that point, as Liverpool striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle had missed from the penalty spot 10 minutes earlier, firing his shot wide of Wayne Henderson’s post.
The Irish, showing three changes from the side that went down in Berne a month ago, concentrated on defending for long spells, but with the pace and trickery of Manchester City’s Willo Flood and Aiden McGeady of Celtic on the wings, they had the wherewithal to keep the French side on their toes throughout.
France, whose overall strength can be gauged by the fact that Arsenal’s impressive young left back Gael Clichy could not force his way into the team, controlled possession in the first half, but created little in attack, with a Henderson save from Sinama-Pongolle’s 44th minute shot the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock.
The home side enjoyed more incision after the break, with Jeremy Toulalan, Sinama-Pongolle and Franck Ribery all having chances to open the scoring.
Monaco forward Stephane Grax caused plenty of problems through that second half, firing one shot into Henderson’s side-netting when he should have found the target, and sending another header wide in the 73rd minute.
It was Grax who was fouled for the two key moments in the final quarter-hour.
First he was hauled down by Irish captain Stephen Kelly inside the area only for Sinama to miss the spot-kick. And then, with five minutes remaining, McGeady fouled the Monaco man on the right flank of the French attack, and Drouin was left unmarked to head Sinama’s free kick past Henderson.
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Ireland came out of themselves in an attempt to find a leveler, and McGeady came close to making amends for his earlier indiscretion, but France keeper Jeremie Gavanon was equal to the task of pushing the shot away.
France U21: Gavanon, Drouin, Berthod, Faty, Aubey, Toulalan, Fae, Ribery, Mathieu, Sinama Pongolle, Grax.
Rep of Ireland U21: Henderson, Kelly, Capper, Fitzgerald, McCarthy, Whelan, Flood, Potter, Daryl Murphy, Tabb, McGeady.
Referee: K Muftuoglu (Turkey)
(*Photos courtesy of FFR)