Our U17 side went down to a three one defeat by England in their opening contest of the Quadrangular Tournament in Tallaght Stadium this Thursday evening. England went ahead on eighteen minutes and doubled their advantage after thirty one minutes. A penalty, converted by Festy Ebosele following a foul on himself, reduced arrears and gave Ireland hope which was further enhanced with the dismissal of English defender Dennis Cirken just before the half-time break. Despite a number of fine opportunities, Ireland were unable to find the net in the second half and England extended their lead with just six minutes remaining. Head Coach Colin O’Brien expressed disappointment at the result but satisfaction with certain aspects of his team’s play. Ireland next face the Czech Republic in Tallaght Stadium at 3pm on Sunday afternoon.