Evans changes team

Ian Evans will make widespread changes to his under-21 side for this evening's game against Northern Ireland in Castlebar, the…

Ian Evans will make widespread changes to his under-21 side for this evening's game against Northern Ireland in Castlebar, the final game of this week's inaugural international triangular tournament.

The hosts will win the event if they can at least draw this evening, but Evans will be forced into fielding a substantially different team to the one that beat Scotland 3-0 on Monday.

David Connolly and Ian Harte are out as they have now joined up with the senior squad for Saturday's game against Mexico, Daryl Clare has returned to England in order to play for Grimsby in the play-offs this weekend, while Colin Hawkins and Michael Cummins are both ruled out through injury.

The Irish manager is set to make even more comprehensive changes though, with Danny Boxall of Crystal Palace and Cork City's Brian Barry Murphy starting in the centre of the defence, Neil Fenn and Stephen Grant up front while Niall Inman, John Burns and Stephen Baker will all come into the team's midfield.

READ MORE

Meanwhile, Blackburn Rovers have signed 17-year-old Jimmy Corbett, a Gillingham player watched by Ian Evans several times in the past few months. The youngster, who had made a tremendous impact in only a handful of first team appearances at Priestfield has signed a five-year deal with Rovers worth £525,000.

Emmet Malone

Emmet Malone

Emmet Malone is Work Correspondent at The Irish Times