Ireland Under-21s were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Latvia in their UEFA Under-21 Championship qualifier in Tallaght Stadium this evening.

Sinclair Armstrong had Ireland in front before they fell behind to a Latvian double. Sean Roughan equalised for the dominant Irish side who, on another day, would have earned all three points.

Having been under pressure from the visitors' high press early on, the Irish young guns got the deserved breakthrough after a quarter-of-an-hour played.

Rocco Vata picked up a loose ball in the middle and burst forward at the heart of the Latvian defence. The Watford man's initial pass was intercepted, but sat up kindly for Armstrong who shot straight at Janis Beks. Ollie O’Neill’s follow up caused confusion in the six-yard box with the ball eventually falling kindly back to the Bristol City striker to grab his sixth goal at Under-21 level. 

The chances were coming thick and fast as both Armstrong and Vata missed glorious chances to double the lead on the half hour mark. Skipper Joe Hodge picked out the unmarked Armstrong at the back post but was quickly closed down by Beks and moments later both wingers combined as O’Neill cut the ball back cleverly for Vata, again unmarked, but dragged his shot wide of the post.

The frustration for the left winger continued when he smashed the inside of the post with a powerful drive, only to see the ball come flying back out to safety.

Against the run of play the visitors equalised with just their second effort of the game when Ralfs Maslovs went down the left wing before teeing up Kaspars Anmanis just inside the area who side footed home, giving the relatively untroubled Josh Keeley no chance. 

Minutes after the restart the Irish players were up in arms when left back Maslovs went crashing into Friday’s match winner Sam Curtis inside the penalty area but the referee awarded a corner.

Just after the hour mark the visitors snatched the lead when Roberts Melkis over hit cross seemed to confuse Keeley, resulting in the keeper palming the ball straight onto the head of substitute Ivans Patrikejevs who headed home.

But Ireland rallied and responded immediately when Moran’s perfectly weighted pass picked out Roughan on the left, who proceeded to drill the ball past Beks to level for his first Under-21s goal.

With time ticking away Ireland tried desperately for the winner their overall performance deserved. Both Hodge and substitute Johnny Kenny had shots from close range blocked as Latvia defended bravely. Fellow substitute Aidomo Emakhu took matters into his own hands, taking on all in his path but rushed his shot when he entered the area.

Anselmo Garcia-McNulty thought he had won it for Ireland in injury, rising well in the area from Matt Healy’s inswinging free-kick, but saw his header flash agonisingly wide.

Next up for Ireland is Norway in Turner's Cross next month.

Ireland: Keeley; Curtis, Abankwah, Garcia MacNulty, Roughan; Vata (Oko-Flex 79’), Hodge, Healy; O’Neill (Emakhu 64’) Armstrong (Kenny 79’), Moran

Latvia: Beks; Rascevskis (Druzinins 58’), Vientiess, Reingolcs, Maslovs; Kauselis (Rekis 67’), Anmanis, Penkevics, Melkis; Patika, Melnis (Patrikejevs 45’)

Referee: Stefan Ebner (Austria)