Under-17 European Qualifier/Republic of Irelaand - 1 Serbia & Montenegro - 2: Ireland must beat England - and probably by a two-goal margin - in Walsall tomorrow night if they are to qualify for the UEFA Championship finals in Italy in May after indiscipline and missed chances resulted in this defeat in Hinckley.

Ireland took the lead on 18 minutes. A free-kick - for a dubious foul - was whipped over from the left by Keith Treacy and Anthony Stokes blasted the ball to the net.

Chances for Treacy and Robert Bayly, and several by Stokes, were wasted before the game turned on a two-minute spell midway through the second half.

Bayly gave away possession and Milos Zivanovic equalised on 61 minutes. Bayly was red carded for a foul on Filip Krstic two minutes later. An error by Michael Spillane 10 minutes later gifted the ball to Miralem Sulejmani who slid it into the net.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Henderson (Aston Villa); Davies (Reading), Nolan (Blackburn Rovers), Spillane (Norwich City), Quigley (Stoke City); Ryan (Liverpool), Power (Crumlin United), Bayly (Leeds United), Treacy (Blackburn); Hickie (Crystal Palace), Stokes (Arsenal). Subs: Judge (Blackburn Rovers) and Dunphy (Celtic) for Power and Hickie (both at half-time).

SERBIA & MONTENEGRO: Knezevic; Ciric, Karisik, Dragicevic, Zlatkovic; Marinkovic, Milovac, Bosancic, Sulejmani; Zivanovic, Jeremic. Subs: Marjanovic for Marinkovic (half-time), Krystic for Zlatkovic (61 mins.), Antelj for Sulejmani (80 mins.).

Referee: A Zuta (Lithuania).