The Republic of Ireland Men’s Under-15s team were beaten 5-1 by Poland in their final game of the Football Federations Cup tournament in Spain. It was the third meeting between the two sides in a month having played each other in a double header at Richmond Park in October. Ireland were looking to build on impressive displays against Mexico and Spain last week and took the lead in the 18th minute when Galway United's Donnacha Sammon, starting his first game for Ireland, scored from the penalty spot. But two Igor Stankiewicz goals turned the game on its head. First the striker equalised in the 38th minute when he reacted quickest from a corner – although there were claims of a handball before the goal. Two minutes later a cross into the box wasn’t cleared properly by Ireland and Stankiewicz fired home into the far corner to give Poland the lead. After the break Poland scored a further three unanswered goals. Igor Brzyski made it 3-1 in the 50th minute from a direct free-kick then two minutes later Damian Sokołowski pounced on a loose ball in the box following a free-kick for 4-1. Igor Busz wrapped up the scoring four minutes before the end when he ran on to a through ball and pulled-off a fine lob to make it 5-1 to Poland.
Republic of Ireland: Collins (Ellis 41; Mare (Harnett 55), Roche (C), Crossan (Mulligan 41), Boruc (Graminschii 41); Chan (Vodo 41), Sean Moore, (O’Donnell 55) Matthew Moore (O’Sullivan 41); Fitzgerald, Agbontaen (Marshall 41), Sammon.
Poland: Pruchniewski, Jaroszuk, Monka, Sokołowski, Przyborek, Popielec, Dzeiewiatowski, Brzyski, Mazurek, Stankiewicz, Szulc.
Substitutes: Skiba, Czulowski, Busz, Potluski, Wasiak-Libiszewski, Kostecki, Mazur, Lawrynowicz, Baniowski, Jelen, Krolak
