The Slovakian city of Košice will be the venue for a crucial UEFA Under-21 European Championship clash between the Republic of Ireland Men’s Under-21s and Slovakia on Friday evening.

Ireland are third in Group D and sit five points behind the hosts. However should the young Irish side claim the win at the Košická Futbalová Aréna it sets up a potential showdown of clashes with Kazakhstan and England – both in at the Munster FA Turners Cross Stadium

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But anything beyond Friday’s game, which will be live on LOTV and free to watch (kick-off 5pm Irish time) is not in Head Coach Jim Crawford’s thoughts.

He is set to take charge of his 50^th international with the Under-21s and is under no illusions of the size of the game. This is the third full campaign in a row under Jim where Ireland have headed into the final qualification window challenging for qualification.

Jim said: “For us to at least be involved in a play-off we need to win on Friday. I’m looking forward to it, the players are looking forward to it and they’ve trained excellently all week. The players know what’s at stake. Slovakia are a good team, they’ve more experience than us but it will certainly make it an interesting tie that’s for sure.”

Ireland’s attacking options have been in good form at club level. Trent Kone Doherty has netted nine times this season for Norwegian outfit Molde FK, while teenage striker Michael Noonan has found the net eight times for Shamrock Rovers. Leon Ayinde has impressed since his move to Doncaster Rovers with Kian McMahon Brown scoring his first  ever senior goal when he scored for his loan club Shrewsbury Town earlier this month.

Tommy Lonergan is currently the SSE Airtricity Premier Division top goal scorer having found the back of the net 14 times.

Looking ahead to Slovakia the Meath man said: “My confidence is probably the highest it’s been in my career. I feel I’m having a really good season but I haven’t scored a goal yet for the Under-21s and I’m dying to do that in these upcoming games. We’ll be giving it our all because we know for a few of us this could be our last games with the Under-21s.”

Republic of Ireland Men’s Under-21 Squad

Goalkeepers: Noah Jauny (Royal Francs Borains), Marcus Gill (Celtic), Joe Collins (Swansea City).

Defenders: Sam Curtis (Cambridge United, on loan from Sheffield United), Seán Grehan (Doncaster Rovers), Cathal McCarthy (Kilmarnock, on loan from Hull City), Conor McManus (Gillingham), Alex Murphy (1. FC Kaiserslautern, on loan from Newcastle United), David Okagbue (Peterborough United).

Midfielders: Romeo Akachukwu (Southampton), Adam Brennan (Shamrock Rovers), Jacob Devaney (Hibernian, on loan from Manchester United), Rory Finneran (Notts County, on loan from Newcastle United), Darius Lipsiuc (Notts County), Oísin Gallagher (Barnet, on loan from Lincoln City), Grady McDonnell (Nottingham Forest), Jamie Mullins (Wycombe Wanderers). 

Forwards: Leon Ayinde (Doncaster Rovers), Trent Kone-Doherty (Molde FK), Tommy Lonergan (Waterford), Kian McMahon Brown (Shrewsbury Town, on loan from Burnley), Michael Noonan (Shamrock Rovers), Ike Orazi (Stade de Reims)*

UEFA Under-21 European Championship Qualifier

Friday, September 25 |  Slovakia MU21 v Ireland MU21, Košická Futbalová Aréna, Košice, Slovakia, KO 17:00 (Irish time)/ 18:00 local time) Live on LOITV

*Joining up with squad after Slovakia qualifier​​​​