The Republic of Ireland's Under-21 team, boosted by an early strike by Arsenal reserve Graham Barrett, earned an impressive 1-1 draw with Holland and might easily have snatched victory despite a virtuoso performance from Rafael van der Vaart.
Barrett, who scored twice in the Republic's previous outing in a 3-0 win in Estonia in June, was on target again in the first nine minutes only for van der Vaart to come up with a quick reply.
Leeds youngster McPhail, who earned his fourth senior cap two weeks ago as a substitute against Croatia, excelled in a roving midfield role having returned to action after nine months out with an Achilles injury. Tall Millwall striker Richard Sadlier gave the attack extra focus with his aerial prowess and nimble touch on the ground. And twice early in the second half the Dutch were fully stretched to foil his solo dashes.
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
