UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS/Ireland 6 Wales 11:THE CROWD would have been heartened by the upbeat finish in Dubarry Park where Ireland dramatically increased the tempo in the last five minutes of their match against Wales before finally coming up short.

Eric Elwood's side will look at the video this week and ask themselves why they didn't raise their game to that level much earlier and especially in the first half when Wales totally dominated.

It was a frenetic end in which Ireland were desperately trying to level a match that had trickled away from them through the boot of Leigh Halfpenny, who landed two kicks in the second half.

That was enough to keep the visitors five points ahead in a second period during which Ireland failed to score a point.

That Ireland almost landed the try they were looking for in the final minutes of normal time, when the centre Eoin O'Malley drove over with a pile of bodies on his back brought hope to the expectant crowd.

But when the Italian referee sought the help of the TMO, the "score" was discounted, leaving Ireland six points adrift and the minutes ticking away.

In the end they ran out of time despite pressing Wales all the way. They home team left it too too late in their desperate bid to retrieve the game.

Although it was Ireland that went into the break leading 6-5, it was the Welsh that would have felt they had the lion's share of the attacking play in the first 40 minutes. And few would argue.

Certainly the vast amount of the first 40 minutes was spent in the Irish territory with Wales launching wave after wave of attack and the Irish line largely holding.

When the breach did finally arrive it took a long skip pass and an awkward bounce to defy the closing Irish defence.

No doubt Wales will look on the opening spell as one where they had comprehensive territorial advantage and not enough to show for it, though their number eight Lloyd Phillips did show a burst of pace to get the touchdown.

That arrived after the Irish outhalf Martin Dufficy landed a penalty to give Ireland a 3-0 lead on 10 minutes as the teams settled into the game. Almost immediately after that score Wales were on the Irish line pushing for points. Ireland will look to what became a 20-minute phase as testament to their strong defence, but with little showing in attack, it seemed inevitable Wales would harvest something for their industry.

That arrived on 26 minutes as a sweeping move down the left was redirected and from the centre a lopping ball was thrown wide right with the Irish defence stretched.

Chris Cochrane was up to meet Phillips but the ball bounced before meeting both of them and just cleverly enough for the Welsh back row to scoop it into his hands and break for the line.

The conversion was missed and Wales had just a two-point advantage. To their concern, they also gave away two kickable penalties leading into the close of the half, one of which Martin Dufficy pulled left from 40 metres and the other of which he landed for Ireland to once again take the lead, 6-5.

Ireland noticeably increased the pace in the second half playing into the wind but it was Halfpenny on 56 minutes who gave Wales the lead with a penalty from under the posts.

Trailing 6-8, Ireland had their chance to edge themselves ahead but Dufficy was wide with his effort before Halfpenny stepped up once again to stretch the Welsh lead to 6-11 on 70 minutes.

It was only then when Ireland realised the probability was that they were going to lose this match, having beaten Scotland so well last time out, that they threw everything into attack.

But the bigger Welsh team held on and their collective defence was sound enough to inflict a disappointing home defeat on the Irish.

Scoring sequence: 10 mins: M Dufficy pen 3-0; 26: L Phillips try 3-5; 35: M Dufficy pen 6-5 (half-time 6-5); 56: L Halfpenny pen 6-8; 70: L Halfpenny pen 6-11.

IRELAND: D Kearney; S Scanlon, E O'Malley, C Cleary, C Cochrane; M Dufficy, D Moore; P Karayiannis, J Harris-Wright, B Barclay, D Nolan, E Sherriff, K Essex, P Mallon, P Ryan. Replacements: T Conneely for Essex (57 mins); I Madigan for Dufficy (70 mins); S Douglas for Barclay (72 mins); S Archer for Harris-Wright (73 mins).

WALES: D Evans; L Halfpenny, J Davies, C Owen, N Rees; D Biggar, R Webb; R Bevington, R Lawrence, P Palmer, H Pugh, J Groves, J Turnbull, L Phillips, N Cudd. Replacements: R Prosser for Palmer (58 mins); R Williams for Pugh (75 mins); S Hobbs for Lawrence, R Prosser for Davies (both 76 mins).

Referee: S Falzone (Italy).