Ireland Boys’ Under-15s played out an eight-goal thriller with an Australia Schoolboy selection at the FAI National Training Centre in Dublin.

The Young Boys in Green were coming up against an Australian team some two years older with the visitors coming out on top 5-3.

Australia had raced into a 3-0 lead in the first half thanks to goals from Tyrone John, Adrian Travato and an own goal from Ireland.

Cork City forward and Debutant Calvin O’Sullivan-O'Shea made it 3-1 in the 35^th minute when he headed home an Alex Culleton cross.

But before half time Australia were gifted a chance to make 4-1. Harper Ryles was felled in the area for a penalty. Joey Banz stepped up and blazed his spot kick over the bar. Two minutes later Banz was given another opportunity to make up for his miss when Australia were awarded another penalty. This time Banz fired past Alex Byrne in the Ireland goal.

At half-time 11 substitutes were made as Head Coach Jason Donohue looked to utilise his squad but within two minutes of the restart Australia hit their fifth through Ryles, his second the of the game.

Not giving up Shamrock Rovers’ Archie Quinn pulled one back from the penalty spot for 5-2 after an Australian defender was adjudged to have handled the ball.

The Rovers’ forward then made it 5-3 as he burst through the Australian backline with 54 minutes on the clock.

He came close to completing his hat-trick when the bustling forward showed great strength to out muscle his marker and fire at goal but George Russell in the Australia stuck out a boot to deny the goal-bound effort to keep the game at 5-3.

It would be the final clear cut chance for Ireland in an entertaining curtain raiser for international football in 2025.

Speaking after the game Jason Donohue said: “I loved the game. Australia are obviously a lot older than us, and to give them credit, they were well drilled and well coached and I’d say that’s the best Australia team we’ve faced in these fixtures over the last few years and they deserved to win.

“The reason I’m happy is that we had seven new caps, we didn’t have any training days heading into it and the players matched Australia as well as they could and that’s huge credit to the players and their attitudes going forward.

“The overall purpose of this game is to prepare a squad for our final event of the season which is a tournament in Italy which we always love going over to compete in. But in all in all, we’ve had seven players make their debuts, ten clubs being represented and an entertaining game to start the year.”

Ireland: (First half XI) Byrne, Nolan, Gunning, Dunne, Culleton, Rascau, Andresen, O’Dwyer (C), O’Sullivan-O'Shea, Echefu, Kelly.
(Second half XI) McGarvey, Nicholls, Afonin, Peyton Marshall, Zeller (C), Collins, O’Donnell, Gazal, Quinn, Fay.

Australia: Williams, Macolo, Hine, Piernaru, Taylor (C), Banza, Johns, Ryles, Sorensen, Jukic, Travato. Substitutes: Russell, Marando, Bridge, Mifsud, Fenner, Mikundu.

Republic of Ireland Boys’ Under-15 Squad

Goalkeepers: Alex Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Charlie McGarvey (Sligo Rovers).

Defenders: Maxim Afonin (Shamrock Rovers), Max Dunne (Bohemians), Alex Culleton (Shamrock Rovers), Ashton Gunning (Aston Villa), Jayden Marshall (Shamrock Rovers), Ben Nicholls (Bohemians), Charlie Nolan (Shamrock Rovers), Sonny Peyton (Crewe Alexandra).

Midfielders: Henrik Andresen (Strømsgodset), Johnny Collins (Shamrock Rovers), Josh O’Dwyer (Shamrock Rovers), Adrian Rascau (Bohemians), Bobby Zeller (Shamrock Rovers).

Forwards: Johnathan Echefu (Galway United), Corey Fay (Shamrock Rovers), Temmy Gazal (Waterford), Liam Kelly (Derry City), Jamie O’Donnell (Derry City), Calvin O’Sullivan-O'Shea (Cork City), Archie Quinn (Shamrock Rovers)

Picture by Gerry Scully