UEFA U-19 Championship: The Irish have had their fair share of good fortune on the underage international stage in recent years and so Sean McCaffrey, Brian Kerr's successor at the helm of the Youths set-up, had little choice but to be philosophical at Richmond Park after seeing his team win rather well but still go out of this year's European Championships.
Under the rules of the qualifying tournament, and specifically the provision that the head to head result rather than goal difference be used to separate teams level on points, nobody but England can now top the four team group after Stuart Baxter's comfortable defeat of Slovenia at Dalymount Park yesterday and so the goals scored for Ireland here by John Flood, Neil McCafferty and Willo Flood amounted to little other than consolation.
McCaffrey, though, maintained afterwards that he was encouraged by the outcome. "It's disappointing (to be out) but I'm pleased with the win," he said. "We played better against England but after a poor first half today I thought we dominated and deserved the win. It's good that we did and that we got three good goals. It will help to instil a winning mentality in these players and it's the foundation for them going on to better things."
After 31 minutes right back Tranquillo Barnetta worked his way in from the right and laid a pass off to Johan Vonlathen whose casually struck shot from the edge of the area was too good for Paul Murphy to keep out.
Ireland were denied a penalty they looked entitled to seven minutes before the interval when the Swiss goalkeeper Johnny Leoni took the legs of John Flood with a clumsy challenge and the referee ignored the mark in the ground inside the area and gave the locals only a free-kick.
Things improved for McCaffrey's side, however, as the game progressed and the Swiss began to open up a little at the back.
Ireland's equaliser came through a Richie Ryan volley that went in off John Flood as the Swiss howled for handball.
Ryan, impressive throughout in the centre of midfield, helped set up the Republic's second and Willo Flood also played a hand before Neil McCafferty finished wonderfully after turning his marker in the middle of the box.
Stephen Elliott excelled for the third with a finely cut back pass which Willo Flood slotted low past Leoni.
Vonlathen did pull one back with a couple of minutes remaining but neither he nor his team-mates had enough left in the tank to secure the draw.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Murphy (Leicester City); Deery (Derry City), Ennis (Aston Villa), Fitzgerald (Blackburn), Brennan (Peterborough Utd); W Flood (Manchester City), Keegan (Leeds United), Ryan (Sunderland), McCafferty (Charlton Ath); Elliott (Manchester City), J Flood (Bray Wanderers). Subs: Whelan (Manchester City) for J Flood (56 mins), Bradley (Arsenal) for McCafferty (74 mins), McStay (Leeds Utd) for Keegan (86 mins).
SWITZERLAND: Leoni; Barnetta, Gandolfo, Maric, Haid; Schwegler, Kohler, Clemente, Margairaz; Vonlathen, Tsimba. Subs: Buhler for Haid (59 mins), Dugic for Clemente (69 mins), Righetti for Margairaz (80 mins).
Referee: Per Ivar Staberg (Norway)
