Republic of Ireland under-21 manager Ian Evans yesterday made six changes to the side that drew with Macedonia at the start of the summer for tonight's game against Yugoslavia in Tolka Park.

However, Evans is adamant that he has been happy with the way that the players have performed in the group matches to date and merely wishes to spread the opportunities to play around what he reckons to be a group of very evenly matched players.

"I don't know in my own mind what the best 11 from the 25 or even 30 players that I have available to me is at this point in time," he said. "Qualifying for the Olympics is still the priority." One of the five players to survive from the game in Galway is Tranmere's Alan Mahon who will captain the Irish for the first time on his 17th appearance at this level while Andy O'Brien, the Bradford City central defender, who was previously capped at youth level by England will make his competitive debut. While O'Brien, as well as Richard Dunne, missed the Macedonia game through injury, Alan Lee and Robbie Ryan were suspended and both now return to the starting line up.

Republic Of Ireland: O'Reilly (West Ham); Maybury (Leeds), Dunne (Everton), O'Brien (Bradford), Ryan (Millwall); Rowlands (Brentford), Quinn (Coventry), McPhail (Leeds), Mahon (Tranmere); Lee (Burnley), Clare (Grimsby).