If any positive is to be taken from yesterday's timid 1-0 defeat to Turkey, it is unquestionably the performance of 19-year-old Declan Rice on his first appearance for Ireland.
Looking self-assured in both defence and midfield, there may be more reasons to be cheerful if today's performance by Ireland's U-19s is anything to go by.
Playing Kosovo in a European Championships qualifier, Southampton's Michael Obafemi and Manchester United's Lee O'Connor are two of the players who really shone during what was a convincing 3-0 win for Ireland.
Opening the scoring after only 5 minutes, Obafemi's turn and finish within the box left his marker for absolute dead.
WATCH: Michael Obafemi gives #IRLU19a 1-0 lead against Kosovo. #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/2hM6VrlVE0
— FAIreland (@FAIreland) March 24, 2018
Applying plenty of pressure, and, to be honest, looking nothing like their senior equivalents, it only took eight more minutes before Ireland had a second.
This time it was O'Connor who applied the deftest of touches to this lobbed finish.
WATCH: Lee O'Connor lobs the goalkeeper to give #IRLU19a 2-0 lead against Kosovo. #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/lz7NfYirgX
— FAIreland (@FAIreland) March 24, 2018
Not content with just the two, the movement of Ireland's forwards here was enough to force a mistake from Kosovo, and, after a wonderful cross from Obafemi, they had a third through Rowan Roache.
GOAL: #IRLU19🇮🇪have scored a third, against Kosovo.
Rowan Roache scores his first of the game.
Match updates available here ➡️ https://t.co/DF61svLv1e … … #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/3QoRT5XGm2— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) March 24, 2018
It is 3-0 as it stands with only a few minutes remaining. After drawing 1-1 with Slovakia on Wednesday, today's win will mean that Ireland's U-19s face a decisive tie against the hosts of this qualifying series Portugal on Tuesday.
A win would guarantee Ireland a place at the U-19 European Championships in Finland this summer.
