European Under-19 Championship Elite qualifying phase/ Republic of Ireland 0 Germany 1: Ireland's hopes of earning a place at this summer's European Youth Championships were severely dented at Dalymount Park, where, despite dominating their second qualifying game of the week, they lost to a deeply controversial first-half penalty.
Late on the Germans had their goalkeeper, Martin Maennel, to thank for preserving their lead as Ireland pressed for an equaliser against 10 and, momentarily, nine men, but the breakthrough just wouldn't come for Sean McCaffrey's side, who now have to beat Hungary on Saturday and hope Bulgaria take at least a point from the group leaders if they are to progress to July's finals.
"I'm very disappointed," said the clearly upset Ireland manager immediately afterwards. "We created stacks of chances. We must have had 15 corners and 70 per cent of the possession.
"And it wasn't a penalty," he said of the spot kick fired home by Anis Ben-Hatira and awarded after the referee adjudged Simon Madden to have taken Sebastien Tyrala inside the area. "I've seen the replay and there was a foul (by Alan Power on Ben-Hatira) after which he played advantage but what he then gave it for definitely wasn't a penalty."
His side retains, he acknowledged, a chance of qualifying, but the Germans now control their own fate: "The problem is that the likes of Hungary and Bulgaria tend to be afraid of Germany. We weren't tonight but we still lost."
True, the Irish took the game to Germany but they certainly found life much more difficult than against Bulgaria. Neither Adam Rooney nor Anthony Stokes was given as much time on the ball as on Monday, and the wide men struggled to provide the service early on they had managed at United Park.
Still, there was a steady stream of chances for the Irish before and particularly after the German goal 17 minutes in - the best a Shane Lowry shot that clattered the outside of the right-hand post after Stokes had chested down Keith Treacy's corner.
Stokes was again influential, carving out opportunities for himself - as when he sidestepped two challenges before powering narrowly wide from 25 yards - and others and working hard to bring Rooney, Alan Power and Jimmy Ryan into attacking moves.
Ryan had a fierce shot blocked just short of the line late in the first half while Power might have tested Maennel with a similar effort in the second half but for the intervention of a defender.
By then the visitors were down to 10 men, their imposing skipper Alexander Eberlien having been dismissed for a challenge on the Irish substitute Cillian Sheridan as he pursued a long Alan Judge ball towards the box.
Predictably the pattern of the game shifted further in favour of the Republic and scoring chances multiplied. But Maennel excelled with outstanding saves from Judge, Stokes and Power.
Things almost boiled over as Ben-Hatira was dismissed seconds before the final whistle. One consolation for the Irish is that two of Germany's best players will miss Saturday's game.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Henderson (Aston Villa); Madden (Leeds United), Spillane (Norwich City), Lowry (Aston Villa), Nolan (Blackburn Rovers); Judge (Blackburn Rovers), Ryan (Liverpool), Power (Nottingham Forest), Treacy (Blackburn Rovers), Rooney (Stoke City), Stokes (Sunderland). Subs: Sheridan (Celtic) for Treacy (half-time), Cassidy (Bolton Wanderers) for Ryan (75 mins), Downes (Everton) for Rooney (81 mins).
GERMANY: Maennel; Boateng, Eberlein, Howedes, Feick; Konrad, Sauter, Ben-Hatira, Sam; Brosinski, Tyrala. Subs: Kruse for Sam (half-time), Schmiedebach for Brosinski (57 mins), Falkenberg for Tyrala (71 mins).
Referee: P Tagliavento(Italy).
