Republic of Ireland Men's Under-17 Head Coach Colin O'Brien has praised his young Boys in Green after qualifying for the Elite Phase of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifiers.

O'Brien's team drew 1-1 with hosts Norway to secure a spot in the next stage and finished Round One of qualifying unbeaten.

They were victorious in their opening game against Armenia 4-0 and followed this up with 2-2 draw with Belarus.

On Wednesday evening, Nickson Okosun's equaliser coupled with a second-half penalty save from Jason Healy earned them a 1-1 draw and saw Ireland advance to next spring's qualifcation phase.

Speaking about the games, O'Brien said: "For the group it was their first taste of competetive UEFA tournament football and there can always be nerves. We were 0-0 at half-time against Armenia and in the second half we scored four goals as we grew in confidence.

"Against Belarus it was a completely different set of circumstances and the mindset of the game changes because they knew they had to try and get something out of the game. We were a little naive in some of our play that led to their goals but it's something that can be fixed and players will learn from. We got a point and it was an important point.

"Then against Norway it was a real tactical battle and it was a real educaiton for the players' development. They [Norway] were a really good side, the speed of the game meant the players couldn't switch off for a minute and they didn't - they executed the game plan perfectly.

"We thoroughly deserved to get a point and it's great for all the players and staff that we've qualified for the next stage and went unbeaten as that was really important for us."

O'Brien said that the tactical changes and requirement to be adaptable were some of they key learnings for his players from their first taste of competetive international football.

Ireland will discover their opponents for the Elite Phase in December and O'Brien is looking forward to the challenges lying ahead for his young team, he added: ""It [Elite Phase] will be a new challenge for the players, it will be a step-up and we can now plan for the next stage.

"It's important the players enjoy this moment and reflect on what they have achieved. A lot will go off into their off-season so their off-season programme will be important.

"I want to thank them and the staff for all their hard work and helping us achieve qualification for the next round."