Ireland Boys Under-15s overcame Saudi Arabia 3-0 in the Torneo Delle Nazioni after a ruthless second-half display in northern Italy.

Goals from Archie Quinn, Corey Fay and Rian Ennis gave Jason Donohue’s team the victory in Portogruaro – their first of the competition.

In a cagey first half it was Ireland who had the best opportunity when an Irish free-kick wasn’t cleared and it fell Ben Nicholls who fired off a strike that was well saved by the Saudi Arabian goalkeeper.

It was a difficult half for the young Irish side who were competing in their third game in four days with temperatures as high as 25C.

At the interval there were a raft of changes and they made an immediate impact. Josh O’Dwyer’s cross-field ball was collected by Fay and he played an inviting cross that was converted home by Quinn for his eighth international goal of the season.

Fay would turn goalscorer when he collected a Maxim Afonin ball took a sweet touch before rounding the goalkeeping for 2-0. Ennis would top off the day he was named captain with a header to make it 3-0 and seal the win for Ireland.

Next up for the young Boys in Green is the United Arab Emirates on Thursday morning.

Ireland: McGarvey, Nicholls (Afonin, 36’), Marshall, Ennis, Echefu (Fay, 36’), O’Halloran (Kibaga,36’),  Aliyev (Kelly, 36’), Zeller, Daly (O’Dwyer, 36’), Collins, Devereux Lynch (Quinn, 36’),

Saudi Arabia: Meshari Alshahrani, Bassam Aisawan, Ziyad Aldawsari, Wafi Aisheri, Saad Al Ayeed, Yazan Alabdurabalnabi, Nasser Alsgaabi, Abdullah Aldosari, Hassan Alyami, Abdullah Almas, Naif Nuwisser. Substitutes: Mohammed Majrashi, Abdullah Alasmari, Alumhannad Fayadh, Al Muqri, Ahmed Suwalleh, Abdulaziz Altammar, Khalid Makrami, Turki Aishammari, Abdullah Aishabeeb

Ireland Boys Under-15s Squad

Goalkeepers: Alex Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Charlie McGarvey (Sligo Rovers).

Defenders: Maxim Afonin (Shamrock Rovers), Rian Ennis ( Shamrock Rovers), Jayden Marshall (Shamrock Rovers), Kimson Kibaga (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Ben Nicholls (Bohemians), Charlie Nolan (Shamrock Rovers).

Midfielders: Aydin Aliyev (SpVgg Greuther Furth), Johnny Collins (Shamrock Rovers), Ciaran Daly (Shamrock Rovers), Blake Devereux Lynch (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Josh O’Dwyer (Shamrock Rovers), Adrian Rascau (Bohemians), Bobby Zeller (Shamrock Rovers).

Forwards: Jonathan Echefu (Galway United), Corey Fay (Shamrock Rovers), Ethan Kelly (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Daniel O’Halloran (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Archie Quinn (Shamrock Rovers).

Torneo Delle Nazioni Fixtures/Results
Saturday, April 26 | Ireland 1-1 Czechia
Sunday, April 27 | Austria 2-0 Ireland
Tuesday, April 29 | Ireland 3-0 Saudi Arabia
Thursday, May 1 | Ireland v UAE