France showed why they are one of the favourites to become UEFA Under-19 champions this season by claiming an impressive victory over Ireland tonight at the Waterford RSC.
Ireland began well and might have gone ahead through Donal McDermott's shot that deflected wide, but it was one-way traffic by the visitors thereafter.
The French hit the front on 38 minutes following a flowing move that saw Sissoko thread a pass to Oberton and the Bordeaux striker drilled a low shot home from just inside the area.
Ireland conceded a penalty eight minutes into the second half when Manchester City defender Garry Breen was adjudged to have tripped Malonea and the attacker showed his composure by converting the spot-kick himself.
The influential Oberton grabbed his second and France's third goal after 58 minutes by curling an exquisite 30-yard shot high into the top corner past the helpless Shane Redmond in the Irish goal.
Ireland's best opportunity to salvaging a consolation arrived with
three minutes remaining when Kurtis Byrne's drilled effort following a lay-off by substitute Sam Sheridan brought the best out of French goalkeeper Dreyer.
The nations meet again in the second part of the double-header on Thursday at Turner's Cross (7.30pm).
IRELAND: Redmond (Notts Forest), Spillane (Norwich City), Earls (Aston Villa), Gaughan (Celtic), Breen (Manchester City), Byrne (Hibernian), M Daly (Manchester City), Berrett (Huddersfield Town), McDermott (Manchester City), Cahillane (Celtic), I Daly (Manchester City).
Substitutes: Meyler (Cork City) for Cahillane and Sheridan (Bolton
Wanderers) for Breen (both 57 mins), O'Toole (Norwich City) for Earls (73 mins), Smyth (Dundalk) for I Daly (83 mins)
FRANCE: Dreyer, Gerard, Andrev (Degre 46), Coubronne, Kana Biyick (Loic Poujol 62), Sissoko (Ganalone 70), Schneiderlin (Fontaine 70), Guidilleye (Pied 46), Malonea, Bakar (Dedola 62), Obertan.
REFEREE: Padraig Sutton.
ATTENDANCE: 1,272.
