Republic of Ireland 0 Portugal 1:The Republic of Ireland's under-21 side saw their unbeaten record in the Madeira Invitational Tournament end today with a 1-0 defeat by Portugal in Machico.

This is the first time Ireland has lost a game in three visits to the island nation — having won the competition in 2004 and 2006.

But Don Givens' side were undone on an extremely hot day against a Portuguese side preparing for the World Youth Championships in Canada this summer.

Sporting Lisbon midfielder Celestino decided the game in the 39th minute with a strike which flew into the top corner from 30 yards out.

Ireland goalkeeper James Russell was powerless to keep that blast out but he was not overly tested for the rest of the game.

Portugal should have taken the lead in the 26th minute when Russell parried a header by Feliciano Condesso and skipper Paulo Renato hit the crossbar from the rebound.

Millwall striker Ross Gaynor looked to have won a penalty for Ireland in the 61st minute when he was taken down by Mano as he prepared to shoot — but his appeal was rejected.

MK Dons defender Kieran Murphy, who scored the winner against Slovakia on Tuesday, headed just over from a right wing cross by James Simmonds in the 67th minute.

With five minutes left on the clock, substitute David Bracken was also denied a penalty after he cut inside Nuno Coelho and appeared to be impeded.

Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper Rui Patricio made a string of important catches from Irish crosses in the dying minutes to keep his third clean sheet of the week.

Speaking after the game Givens said: "If we'd drawn the game and still lost the tournament we'd have preserved our unbeaten run here so it's difficult to lose for the first time after three years here.

"We needed a bit of luck and didn't get anything, certainly from the referee. There were two penalty shouts and we definitely could have got one of them.

"Portugal also had a late shout for one but he set the stall out by not giving our ones.

"But overall we couldn't criticise the commitments and effort but you have to hold your hands up and say they were better," added the manager.

As has happened when Ireland won in 2004 and again last year, Givens had to take a second-string squad to Madeira but he was delighted with the effort his players gave.

"There were decent performances and it's been a very worthwhile trip," he said. "The defenders were decent, Stephen O'Halloran was probably our best player overall, while Kieran Murphy looked very solid and Ian Morris and Conor Powell were real pluses."

Ireland's next under-21 fixture is a friendly against Holland in Venlo on March 27th when players born after January 1st, 1984, will be eligible to play.

The Dutch are preparing for the Uefa under-21 Championships that they host this summer and have asked the Irish to bring an older panel.

Givens added: "We'll have the lads born in 1986 involved and might even bring in some older fellas to even up the age difference a little.

"We've learned a lot about the ones who were here this week and a few of them will come into contention for the Dutch game."