ARTFUL DODGER
Reece aims to duck & dive his way to the top just like Harry
REECE GREGO-COX wants to emulate Harry Arter by using Conference outfit Woking as a springboard for his Ireland career.
The striker will spearhead the Republic’s Under-21 attack against Azerbaijan in tonight’s European Championship qualifier in Tallaght.
Although he’s notched four goals in the campaign – including a hat-trick against Israel in October – Grego-cox endured a frustrating first half of the season at club level.
Marginalised by manager Ian Holloway, the 21-year-old had to give up on his dream of establishing himself at his boyhood idols QPR.
He decided to cut his ties with the Championship club in January with six months left on his contract.
Dropping into non-league football is a brave move for a forward who made his Premier League debut at 19, but he feels the 11 games he’s already played have been hugely beneficial.
Grego-cox also cites the example of Arter, who is now a permanent fixture in the Ireland squad.
“Sometimes you have to take a step back to go forward and I signed with Woking until the end of the season,” explained Grego-cox, whose grandmother Christine Grego was born
Portugal U19
v
Ireland U19, 5pm
IRELAND will qualify for the U19 European Championships if they beat Portugal in Barcelos this afternoon.
Tom Mohan’s charges are hoping to emulate Colin
O’brien’s squad, who qualified for the U17 finals by beating
Georgia at the weekend.
“We were looking at going into the last game with qualification in our own hands,” said Mohan (inset).
“Portugal are a quality side and we knew we’d have to beat them to have a chance. It’s great to be in this position.
“The boys handled the pressure in Clare and lives in Cork.
“People underestimate the standard of the Conference.
There are a lot of big clubs fighting to get back into League Two and it has really helped to get my sharpness back.
“QPR was all I knew in my career, so it’s been a shock to the system going somewhere else. I’m confident in my own ability and the plan is to move into League football in the summer.
“It was the same for Harry Arter. He came to Woking after finishing at Charlton and is now in the Premier League with Bournemouth and an Irish international.”
Ireland will rise to within two points of leaders Germany with four qualifiers remaining should they get the expected win against bottom side Azerbaijan.
Current holders Germany are likely to claim top spot to take an automatic route to next year’s finals in Italy but Ireland are well in contention to land their first ever play-off.
The return of Declan Rice and Kieran O’hara from senior international duty is set to bolster Noel King’s side. excellently against Kosovo on Saturday. We scored three excellent goals which is great for confidence.” Ireland are bidding to qualify for the U19 finals for the first time since reaching the 2011 semi-finals in Romania.
But Portugal will be formidable opponents, as this current U19 crop won the U17 Euros two years ago. Mohan said: “They’re a very expansive and high-quality side.
“But we’ll be prepared for their challenge and we’ll do everything in our power to cap off a fabulous few days for Irish football.”