A comfortable win in Hustopece this may have been, but one of little consequence for Brian Kerr's under-18s, as they go out of the championship after the hosts beat Bulgaria 2-0 in yesterday's other game to win this UEFA qualifying tournament. The Czechs go through to meet Austria in a two-legged play-off in the spring to determine who qualifies for the finals in Finland next July.

"We won it comfortably," said Kerr. "They had a spell in the second-half when we lost our rhythm, but our first-half performance was very good. "But the Czechs have won it and go through. We knew before we came out that the first match would be crucial. We had to get something from that to give us a chance and we didn't."

A Brian Cash goal on 10 minutes was just the start Ireland needed as he combined with Danny Murphy and Andy Reid to shoot home off a defender.

Reid then added the second goal on 35 minutes, converting a penalty after he had been taken down by the Moldovan goalkeeper, Andrei Vasilache.

Ireland lived dangerously at times early in the second-half with Barry Roche forced into a good save from a Eugen Patula header on 51 minutes while Murphy recovered well after giving the ball away to make a terrific block.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Roche (Nottingham Forest); Brennan (Newcastle United), Byrne (Sunderland), Tierney (Manchester United), Murphy (QPR); Gamble (Celtic), Cawley (Leeds United), van Zanten (Celtic); McNamara (Nottingham Forest), Reid (Nottingham Forest ), Cash (Nottingham Forest). Subs: Thornton (Tranmere Rovers) for van Zanten (60 mins); Robinson (Middlesbrough) for McNamara (80 mins); Field (Arsenal) for Cash (87 mins).

MOLDOVA: Vasilbache; Tofan, Postu, Cucovei, Verbetchi; Gheorghiev, Taranu, Covalciuc, Andronic, Hercenco; Patula. Subs: Baiesu for Taranu (half-time); Doras for Patula (54 mins); Gutu for Gheorghiev (63 mins).

Referee: D Ceferin (Slovenia).