NORWAY U21s 3-2 REPUBLIC IF IRELAND U21s
Norway ended the Republic of Ireland Under-21s' winning run in Euro 2025 qualifying by beating Jim Crawford’s team 3-2 at the Marienlyst Stadion in Drammen.
Following Rodolen Opsahl's opener, the Boys in Green were leading after Aidomo Emakhu and Sinclair Armstrong found the back of the net, and the home side came back through an equaliser from Kristian Arnstad before Lasse Nordas scored the winner.
Norway were listed as 'strong favourites’ by locals before a ball was kicked and Ireland responded to the challenge by creating the game’s first chance inside five minutes.
That fell to Armstrong and he stung the palms of Sander Tangvik, and it was followed by a Sam Curtis cross which the goal-keeper plucked out of the air.
Everything was going according to plan until the home side won a corner in the 20th minute and the set-piece was cleared to Eskil Edh. He played a quick pass to Arnstad and the midfielder set up Opsahl to flick the ball in and make it 1-0 to Norway.
Ireland were undeterred by the set-back and an attempt by Emakhu to instantly equalise led to a stretched save by Halvor Rodolen Opsahl.
The players – who came from behind to beat Turkey earlier in the campaign - never once deviated from Crawford’s game plan.
Their reward was a turnover won by pressing Odin Thiago and space opened up for Armstrong to try and score. Leo Hjelde got in the way of the shot and he put the ball into the path of Emakhu, and the striker hit the back of the net in the 36th minute.
Matt Healy opened up the second half with a shot from distance and he narrowly missed the intended target.
Emakhu then played Sinclair into space and the QPR striker won Ireland a corner. Sean Roughan targeted the near post and the ball missed everyone inside the area before Norway cleared their lines.
A repeat of that pattern of play led to Sinclair rolling the ball in and making it 2-1 to Ireland in the 73rd minute.
There was very little time to savour the lead as Norway went up the pitch and won a corner, and the set-piece ended in the referee pointing to the spot and a yellow card being shown to Healy.
Arnstad made no mistake with the penalty and Norway regained the lead shortly after through a close range Nordas strike into the roof of the net.
Ireland’s push for a late equaliser ended in vain, and the team now move onto a game with Italy next Tuesday evening at Turner’s Cross.
Norway: Sander Tangvik; Eskil Edh (Fredrik Sjovold 57), Leo Hjelde, Halvor Rødølen Opsahl, Fredrik Oppegård, Christos Zafeiris, Odin Thiago Holm (Lasse Nordas 57), Kristian Arnstad, Tobias Gulliksen (Daniel Karlsbakk 57), Joel Mugisha, Isak Hansen-Aarøen.
Republic of Ireland: Joshua Keeley; Sean Roughan (Omotayo Adaramoia 83), Anselmo García MacNulty, Connor O’Riordan, Sam Curtis, Bosun Lawal, Baba Adeeko (Oliver O’Neill 83), Kian Leavy (Killian Phillips 69), Matt Healy, Aidomo Emakhu (Johnny Kenny 62), Sinclair Armstrong.
Referee: Walter Altmann (Austria)
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