Ireland Under-21s missed out on qualification to the 2025 Under-21 European Championships despite a 1-1 draw with Italy in Trieste.

The draw, coupled with Norway’s 5-1 win over Türkiye, meant Ireland couldn’t claim a top spot, and missed out on a Play-Off place due to the head-to-head record with the Norwegians.

It was an excellent display by Jim Crawford’s team, who lost only once in the campaign, and finished level on points with Norway (19 points).

Italy took the lead in the first half, against the run of play, through Cesare Casadei but his strike was cancelled out by a brilliantly taken Andrew Moran equaliser – however a draw wasn’t enough for the young Irish side.

In a winner-takes-all clash for the automatic qualification spot it was Ireland who looked the dominant outfit in the opening exchanges.

Still reeling from the late concession on Friday night at home to Norway in Cork, Jim Crawford opted for two changes with Sinclair Armstrong and Baba Adeeko coming in for Aidomo Emakhu.

The confident visitors pinned the Italians back early on, and went close with a number of set pieces. In the 16^th minute, Johnny Kenny’s snapshot was cleared off the line when goalkeeper Sebastiano Desplanches failed to hold Kenny’s initial header. 

Minutes later Adeeko then saw his goal-bound strike cleared from underneath the crossbar, from another set piece not dealt with by the Italian rearguard.

But the hosts hit Ireland with a massive sucker punch, flying straight down the opposite end on the counter attack.

Wilfried Gnonto broke down the right wing before cutting the ball back to Chelsea’s Cesare Casadei, who squeezed a low shot through a sea of bodies and into the bottom corner.

Highly rated Tommaso Baldanzi, who scored an impressive hat-trick against Norway last month, was inches away from doubling the lead with his whipped free-kick just missing the far post.

Ten minutes before the break, Ireland got a stroke of luck as the group leaders wasted a glorious chance to double their lead. Anselmo Garcia-McNulty was adjudged to have brought down Baldanzi in the area, with skipper Gnonto taking responsibility, the Leeds man opted for power, blazing high over the bar.

Just after the hour mark Ireland got the goal their relentless efforts deserved when another substitute made an almost immediate impact. Emakhu, introduced minutes earlier, dug out an incredible low cross from the corner flag to find his captain just inside the area, as Moran finished, expertly first time with his left foot, to set up a grandstand finish.

Minutes later Sinclair Armstrong teed up Emakhu on the left-hand side of the box but just as the Millwall man was poised to pull the trigger, he saw his attempt bravely cleared by Mattia Zanotti.

Mark O’Mahony made it three up top for the remaining 10 minutes as the Italians showed all their know-how in slowing the game at every opportunity.

Trying desperately to find that all elusive winner, Emakhu flashed a shot across the face of goal from a tight angle that was well saved by Desplanches, before James Abankwah saw a powerful drive blocked on the edge of the area.

Despite their  efforts, time eventually got the better of The Irish Young guns who fell at the final hurdle despite a campaign with many positives.

Speaking after the game Ireland Under-21 Head Coach Jim Crawford said: “I thought the boys were magnificent. We said to ourselves that we won’t sit off them, we’ll get after them.

“We knew they’d have a spell but in the second half we were excellent and if you look at how Italy set-up, throwing five at the back and wasting time, it was interesting to see. But I’m unbelievably gutted for the players and for the staff who have worked incredibly hard since the campaign started.

“We knew the group was going to be tough, but we had faith the players would come good and if you see the performance we have produced against a top Italian team it shows the quality we have. That, and the fact we have six players in the squad who can go again next campaign, are the one of the positives from this evening.”

Italy: Sebastiano Desplanches; Nicolo Savona, Daniele Ghilardi, Nicolo Bertola, Mattia Zanotti (Riccardo Turicchia 76); Cesare Casadei, Matteo Prati, Cher Ndour, Tommaso Baldanzi (Giovanni Bonfanti 89), Wilfried Gnonto (Luca Koleosho 76), Pio Esposito (Giovanni Fabbian 53)

Ireland: Tiernan Brooks; James Abankwah, Anselmo Garcia-McNulty, Emmanuel Adegboyega; Sam Curtis (Connor O’Brien 46), Matt Healy, Baba Adeeko (Mark O’Mahony 81), Andrew Moran, Sean Roughan (Tayo Adaramola 46); Sinclair Armstrong, Johnny Kenny (Aidomo Emakhu 59)