U21: Late Fitzgerald strike preserves U21 record

U21 INTERNATIONAL:

FT: POLAND 2 (Pawel Brozek 21, Piotr Brozek 53)

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 2 (Elliott 68, Fitzgerald 90)

---

Unbeaten against Italy and Portugal in February’s Madeira tournament, Don Givens’ side began sluggishly and allowed GKS Katowice striker Pawel Brozek in after 21 minutes.

He managed to hold off debutante defender Paddy McCarthy to slam a left-footed drive from 15 yards under goalkeeper Wayne Henderson for the lead.

Antoni Lukasiewicz had to be alert on 33 minutes when Givens’ charges had the best of their first half chances. Sean Thornton joined the Irish attack to prod a ten-yard shot goal wards after a set piece scramble, but the Polish skipper managed to get back to retrieve off the goal line.

By this time the visitors, who brought on Longford Town defender Sean Dillon for his debut, were bossing midfield and should have levelled when Willo Flood played in club mate Stephen Elliott only for goalkeeper Radoslaw Cierzniak to save the Manchester City striker’s 18-yard shot.

Brozek’s twin Piotr was played in by his brother for the second eight minutes after the restart, as the Irish again began sluggishly. Brozek pounced as his brother flashed the ball across a vacant Irish goal line to put the Poles 2-0 in front. But the Republic pulled one back on 68 minutes when Elliott brilliantly rounded substitute goalkeeper Pawel Kieszek, having been put through by Glen Whelan.

Ireland’s ten-game unbeaten run, stretching back to last autumn, was preserved in injury time when a Sean Thornton free kick was headed on by Fitzgerald, and with Elliott’s close range shot being saved, the Blackburn defender was on hand to net the loose ball for his first ever goal at this level.

The U21s next line out on May 29, in a Terryland Park friendly against Scotland, ahead of their first World Cup qualifier against Cyprus in September.

Poland: Cierzniak; Wojtkowiak, Kucharski, Lukasiewicz, Dudka; Strak; Szalachowski, Zganiacz, Piotr Brozek; Pawel Brozek, Gregorek.
Subs: Kieszek for Cierzniak (ht), Mielniczek for Gregorek (60 mins), Fonfara for Wojtkowiak (67 mins), Bolimowski for Pawel Brozek (71 mins), Juczkiewicz for Strak (77 mins), Kwiek for Szalachowski (82 mins), Balul for Dudka (87 mins)

Republic of Ireland: Henderson (Aston Villa); Kelly (Tottenham Hotspur), Fitzgerald (Blackburn Rovers), McCarthy (Manchester City), Capper (Scarborough); Potter (Liverpool), Whelan (Manchester City), Thornton (Sunderland); Flood (Manchester City), Elliott (Manchester City), Doyle (Cork City).
Subs: Dillon (Longford Town) for Capper (19 mins), Mehmet (Dunfermline Athletic) for Doyle (ht), Ward (Bohemians) for Potter (74 mins)

Referee: Zdzislaw Bakaluk (Poland)