U21 - Republic of Ireland 3, Denmark 2: It was a rollercoaster ride, but Don Givens' latest batch of aspirants maintained their progress with a second successive win as Denmark should have been beaten by more before a capacity crowd of 8,000 under Turner's Cross' new floodlights.
Jim Goodwin had a night he'll scarcely forget. He struck the all-important first goal midway through the first half before he provided an assist for Ben Burgess to add a second early in the second half. But Goodwin's night wasn't to end there. The central defender was sent off on 72 minutes, while wearing the captain's armband, after deliberately handling Jesper Hakansson's goalbound shot.
Hakansson scored from the resultant penalty and Denmark appeared to have snatched a draw when Kenneth Larsen equalsied six minutes from time. But Irish substitute Joe Gamble, at fault for the Danes' equaliser, scored a dramatic 89th minute winner.
Ireland thought they had taken the lead from their first corner, but there was a handball from Butler's delivery and Reid's shot to the net was disallowed. Butler, who impressed throughout, then forced an awkward save from Stephan Andersen before Ireland deservedly took the lead on 21 minutes.
Doyle's corner from the left was swung into the far post at pace and Goodwin arrived to volley home past Andersen. It might have been 2-0 five minutes later but John O'Shea's flick header was inches wide.
Ireland should have stretched their lead 10 minutes before the interval. The Danes were unlucky when a clearance ricocheted off Miller to fall kindly for Reid. But the little winger miscued his shot which was cleared off the line by the retreating Christian Traore.
Goodwin was again involved for the second Irish goal seven minutes into the second half as Butler's corner from the left was headed down by Goodwin and Burgess turned to blast to the net from just yards out. But Goodwin's night turned sour when he was sent off for that handball and Hakansson duly landed the spot kick.
It got worse as Denmark, hardly in the game until the sending off, eqaulised six minutes from time. Substitute Gamble was caught in possession and Larsen chipped home. But the little Reading midfielder made amends on 89 minutes, shooting low into the corner of the net.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Murphy (Tranmere); Shelley (Bohemians), Goodwin (Celtic), O'Shea (Man Utd), Foy (Nottm Forest); Miller (Celtic), Mattis (Huddersfield), Doyle (Celtic); Butler (Sunderland), Burgess (Brentford), Reid (Nottm Forest). Subs: Gamble (Reading) for Mattis (half-time), O'Callaghan (Barnsley) for O'Shea (55 mins), Daly (Stockport) for Burgess (70 mins), Byrne (Sunderland) for Reid (75 mins)..
DENMARK: Andersen (Hvidovre); Olsen (Brondby), Thomassen (Padova), Traore (FC Copehagen), Kristiansen (Esbjerg); Sorensen (Farum BK), Benjaminsen (Farum BK), Silberbauer (Aalborg), Frederiksen (Excelsior Rotterdam); Hakansen (Heerenveen), Augustinussen (Aalborg). Subs: Jensen (Horsens) for Augustinussen (half-time), Bechmann (Aarhus) for Sorensen (65 mins), Lindkvist (FC Midtjylland) for Silberbauer (73 mins.), Larsen (Brondby) for Kristiansen (77 mins), Junker (Brondby) for Hakansson (87 mins).
Referee: C Richards (Wales).
