A late Tommy Lonergan penalty earned a dramatic 4-3 win for Ireland Men’s Under-21s over Kazakhstan to lift them into the UEFA European Under-21 Championship Group D play-off places with one game left to play.

Lonergan was brought down for the spot kick in the 84^th minute and the Waterford man picked himself up to fire home to end a night of high drama at the Munster FA Turners Cross Stadium.

Ireland knew a win would put them into a play-off spot with Slovakia still to face England in England on Friday.

But what they hoped would be a dramaless victory was anything but with the young Boys in Green 1-0 down after 15 seconds. Artyom Litosh was given space inside the Ireland area to engineer a shot for himself and he let fly with a strike that found the roof of the Irish net.

From that point it was all Ireland and it would take until the 21^st minute for Ireland to find a response. A corner route saw Alex Murphy flick home at the near post to bring the game to parity. Seven minutes later Ireland were ahead. Lonergan turned his man and looked to apply the finish but he was thwarted by Sherhan Kalmurza but the ball fell kindly to Jamie Mullins to finish low for his third goal of the campaign.

With Ireland in a more comfortable position they allowed their lead to slip in the 38^th minute. Litosh picked out Ramazan Karimov in space he ran onto the ball and his rasping low drive that left Jauny with no chance for 2-2.

It would be all square at the break but Ireland took three minutes into the second half to regain their lead. Mullins’ in-swinging corner found the head of Sam Curtis whose header found the net via a deflection.

Kazakhstan weren’t to give up and for the second time in the game they would equalise. This time Ireland failed to deal with a long throw and Sultan Askarov got in on the blind side of the defence to hit a half volley for 3-3.

Within a minute Mullins almost restored Ireland’s lead when Adam Brennan’s cross found the head of the Wycombe Wanderers playmaker, however he saw his header cannon off the Kazakhstan cross bar.

Ireland continued to push and Murphy almost bundled the ball over the line from a free-kick but somehow Kazakhstan kept the game all square.

The game changing moment would come with time running out. Jacob Devaney’s through ball put Lonergan through on goal with the Kalmurzaw1, as he rounded the goalkeeper he was felled and referee pointed to the spot.

Lonergan sent his spot kick down the centre to give Ireland the advantage and his second Under-21s goal in as many games.

In additional time, the impressive Litosh was given a second yellow for an off the ball incident with Cathal McCarthy and Ireland would see out the game to win their third qualifier in a row.

Next up is England in Turner’s Cross.

Republic of Ireland:  Jauny; McCarthy, Grehan (Ayinde 81), Murphy,  Curtis (Lipsiuc 70), Finneran (Noonan 81), Devaney, Brennan (Akachukwu 70), Mullins, Kone-Doherty; Lonergan ( Okagbue 88).

Kazakhstan: Kalmurza; Malikaidar, Askarov, Turganov, Karimov (Abish 66); Mukhametkhanov (Zhumabekov 77), Nurymbet, Popov (Toktybay 66), Omatay, Trufanov (Birkurmanov 77); Litosh.

Referee: Loic Thomas (Luxembourg).