GREEN SHOOTS AT LAST
NOEL KING confessed to feeling a sense of shame after his Ireland U21s were crushed by European champions Germany in Tallaght last night. The Boys in Green needed a result against the group leaders to keep in the mix for next year’s Euros but were utterly outclassed. Three of the six goals came from the penalty spot yet Alexander Nubel in the visitors’ goal was never threatened over the 90 minutes. Ireland will need to win their last two games, both away, against Israel and Germany next month to have any hope of finishing second and nicking a playoff route to Italy. ‘Germany are a superb side but we certainly contributed to our own downfall,’ said King after the heaviest defeat of his eight-year reign. ‘They were leading us 2-0 up until the final 25 minutes and I don’t know what happened to our lads after that. It was the weirdest game I’ve ever been involved in and I definitely feel a shame about the scoreline.’ Aaron Seydel grabbed the lead after only six minutes by stroking the ball beyond Kieran O’Hara from the edge of the box. When Jake Mulraney committed a needless foul on Lukas Kolstermann, Cedric Teuchert converted a penalty on 22 minutes. And it was the visitors who upped the pace in the second half, gifted a third on 65 minutes when O’Hara’s weak clearance was collected by Florian Neuhaus who teed up Teuchert to send a rising shot to the roof of the net. He notched his hat-trick eight minutes later when Liam Kinsella fouled Max Eggestein nd Teuchert netted from the spot. Two goals by Suat Serdar completed the rout, from a penalty on 82 minutes (after Mulraney tripped Lukas Kolstermann) and then a back-heeled effort four minutes later serving as the final indignity. IRELAND: K O’Hara; S McLoughlin (Donnellan 16), R Delaney, C Shaugnessy, C Whelan; H Charsley, J Cullen, L Kinsella; J Mulraney (Quigley 88), R Grego-Cox, R Manning (McGrath 54). GERMANY: A Nubel; L Klostermann, T Baumgartl, W Anton, J Torunarigha (Serdar 46); B Henrichs, E Lowen (Maier 67), M Eggestein, F Neuhaus; A Seydel (Richter 54), C Teuchert. Scorers: Seydel 6; Teuchert 22 (pen) 66, 73 (pen); Serdar 83 (pen), 86. Referee: A Hernandez (Spain).