Republic of Ireland 1 - 0 Serbia | 2017 - UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship | 2021107

UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship Elite Round | Sports Center of FA of Serbia, Serbia

13 March 2017 - 13:15 (14:00 local time)

Republic of Ireland 1 - 0 Serbia

McEvoy(78) full-time

Report
Preview
Lineups
Minute by Minute Commentary
Statistics
Gallery

REPORT: McEvoy nets in WU17s win over Serbia

A late goal from Alannah McEvoy helped the Republic of Ireland Women's Under 17s record a 1-0 victory over Serbia in the first of three UEFA European Championship Elite Round qualifiers.

13th Mar 2017

Dave Bell's team set out for these qualifiers with the intention of taking it one game at a time - refusing to look beyond their first match, which happened to be against hosts Serbia in Stara Pazova.

Well, they completed the first part of that mission as they collected three crucial points. And with Scotland drawing with Hungary in the other game, Ireland moved into pole position.

"I'm delighted for the girls because it was a very hard-working performance put in by everyone in the team," said Bell afterwards.

"We started well and had two or three chances to take the lead inside the first 15 minutes. Then our passing went a bit sloppy and Serbia came back at us, but we kicked on again, controlled the possession and always looked like scoring.

"It is a great win because we kept a clean sheet, didn't pick up any yellow cards and got the three points that we targeted. If we can reach those standards in our next two games then I would be confident of progressing further.

"But there is still work to do and we will turn our attention to Scotland now. We have watched some of their DVDs and will do our homework on them. But I'm really pleased by this performance and it puts us in the driving seat."

Ireland recorded six attempts on target overall with Carla McManus, Tiegan Ruddy and Sadhbh Doyle going close before McEvoy found the breakthrough on 77 minutes, thanks to an incisive assist from captain Ruddy.

That goal proved to be the winner and it sets Ireland up nicely ahead of facing Scotland on Wednesday and Hungary on Saturday.

Republic of Ireland: Turner; Doyle, Ruddy, Grier; Mackey, Toland, Fahey (McGovern 80), McEvoy; Payne, McManus, Carolan (Spillane 52).

Serbia: Cetinja; Josic, Mostarac, Krstic, Frajtovic; Savanovic, Miladinovic, Trbojevic; Plavsic, Agbaba (Zivkovic 78), Bulatovic.

Referee: Shona Shukrula (Netherlands).

Tactical Lineups

Republic of Ireland

Substitutes

Coach

David Bell

Serbia

Substitutes

12 Jovana Petrović (G)
4 Maja Ćirić
13 Milica Denda
14 Nikolina Batinić
15 Marija Đurović
16 Emilija Zivkovic
18 Agata Cvetanović

Coach

Suzana Stanojević

Officials

Referee Shona Shukrula
Assistant Referees Franca Overtoom
UEFA Delegate Nikola Mužíková
Assistant Referee Two Sabina Valieva
Fourth Official Vera Opeykina
Referee Observer Katarzyna Wierzbowska

Minute by Minute Commentary

1" The match is under way.
2" Tyler Toland (Republic of Ireland) takes the corner.
2" Heather Payne (Republic of Ireland) has an effort on goal.
2" Sara Cetinja (Serbia) blocks a shot.
5" Carla McManus (Republic of Ireland) has an effort on goal.
5" Sara Cetinja (Serbia) blocks a shot.
6" Sara Savanović (Serbia) is penalised for a foul on Isibeal Emma Atkinson (Republic of Ireland).
22" Tyler Toland (Republic of Ireland) is penalised for a foul on Sara Savanović (Serbia).
23" Jovana Miladinović (Serbia) takes the free-kick.
23" Jovana Miladinović (Serbia) has an effort on goal.
23" Erica Turner (Republic of Ireland) blocks a shot.
25" Carla McManus (Republic of Ireland) is penalised for a foul on Ivana Trbojević (Serbia).
28" Carla McManus (Republic of Ireland) is flagged for offside.
31" Tyler Toland (Republic of Ireland) has a shot blocked.
31" Tyler Toland (Republic of Ireland) takes the corner.
32" Sadhbh Doyle (Republic of Ireland) misses the target.
32" Megan Mackey (Republic of Ireland) is penalised for a foul on Ivana Trbojević (Serbia).
33" Megan Mackey (Republic of Ireland) is penalised for a foul on Dunja Mostarac (Serbia).
34" Andjela Frajtović (Serbia) is penalised for a foul on Heather Payne (Republic of Ireland).
42" Megan Mackey (Republic of Ireland) is penalised for a foul on Dunja Mostarac (Serbia).
The referee blows for half-time.
46" The second half begins.
41" Carla McManus (Republic of Ireland) is flagged for offside.
46" Andjela Frajtović (Serbia) takes the corner.
47" Tijana Josić (Serbia) is penalised for a foul on Isibeal Emma Atkinson (Republic of Ireland).
50" Andjela Frajtović (Serbia) is penalised for a foul on Heather Payne (Republic of Ireland).
52" Aisling Spillane (in) - Isibeal Emma Atkinson (out) (@@teamID)
53" Tyler Toland (Republic of Ireland) takes the corner.
53" Tiegan Ruddy (Republic of Ireland) has an effort on goal.
53" Sara Cetinja (Serbia) blocks a shot.
55" Andjela Frajtović (Serbia) takes the corner.
57" Andjela Frajtović (Serbia) takes the corner.
58" Jovana Agbaba (Serbia) is penalised for a foul on Heather Payne (Republic of Ireland).
58" Dunja Mostarac (Serbia) is penalised for a foul on Tyler Toland (Republic of Ireland).
59" Sadhbh Doyle (Republic of Ireland) takes the free-kick.
64" Heather Payne (Republic of Ireland) misses the target.
70" Andjela Krstić (Serbia) is flagged for offside.
71" Jovana Agbaba (Serbia) is penalised for a foul on Sadhbh Doyle (Republic of Ireland).
71" Carla McManus (Republic of Ireland) misses the target.
72" Ivana Trbojević (Serbia) misses the target.
74" Carla McManus (Republic of Ireland) has an effort on goal.
74" Sara Cetinja (Serbia) blocks a shot.
76" Tyler Toland (Republic of Ireland) is penalised for a foul on Ivana Trbojević (Serbia).
76" Ivana Trbojević (Serbia) takes the free-kick.
77" Tyler Toland (Republic of Ireland) takes the corner.
77" Sadhbh Doyle (Republic of Ireland) has an effort on goal.
77" Sara Cetinja (Serbia) blocks a shot.
78" Alannah McEvoy (Republic of Ireland) scores!
78" Tiegan Ruddy (Republic of Ireland) assists.
78" Emilija Zivkovic (in) - Jovana Agbaba (out) (@@teamID)
80" Roisin McGovern (in) - Doireann Fahey (out) (@@teamID)
80" Alannah McEvoy (Republic of Ireland) is penalised for a foul on Jovana Miladinović (Serbia).
The final whistle is blown.