Irish hopes ended by Hungary
Brady goal not enough for Irish
Last Updated: September 6, 2012 10:14pm
Robbie Brady: Penalty not enough for Republic of Ireland Under 21s
Republic of Ireland Under 21s saw their slim hopes of reaching the European Championship qualification play-offs ended by a narrow defeat to Hungary in Kecskemet.
Needing a win to stand any chance going into Monday's game with group winners Italy, the Irish were undone in an eventful first half.
Rhys Murphy headed just wide for the visitors from a Conor Henderson cross after 12 minutes, but Leicester's Marko Futacs hit Hungary's opener from 25 yards in the 15th minute.
The hosts extended their lead in the 27th minute when Istvan Kovacs finished off a swift counter-attack by firing home from a Futacs cross.
Manchester United's Robbie Brady set a new record of seven under-age goals for his country when he brought his side back into the game from the penalty spot in the 39th minute.
Aidan White fired a glorious chance to equalise wide just before the break, before McLoughlin saved a Futacs penalty after a handball in the box by Shane Duffy.
Tables
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group One
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wales U21 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | England U21 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Finland U21 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Lithuania U21 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | San Marino U21 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Moldova U21 | 1 | 0 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Two
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia U21 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Bulgaria U21 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Denmark U21 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Estonia U21 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Slovenia U21 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Andorra U21 | 1 | 0 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Three
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Czech Rep U21 | 8 | 20 |
| 2 | Armenia U21 | 8 | 15 |
| 3 | Montenegro U21 | 8 | 11 |
| 4 | Wales U21 | 8 | 10 |
| 5 | Andorra U21 | 8 | 0 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Four
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serbia U21 | 8 | 18 |
| 2 | Denmark U21 | 8 | 16 |
| 3 | Macedonia U21 | 8 | 12 |
| 4 | N Ireland U21 | 8 | 4 |
| 5 | Faroe Islands U21 | 8 | 3 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Five
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain U21 | 8 | 22 |
| 2 | Switzerland U21 | 8 | 17 |
| 3 | Georgia U21 | 8 | 10 |
| 4 | Croatia U21 | 8 | 7 |
| 5 | Estonia U21 | 8 | 1 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Six
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia U21 | 8 | 17 |
| 2 | Portugal U21 | 8 | 15 |
| 3 | Poland U21 | 8 | 11 |
| 4 | Moldova U21 | 8 | 7 |
| 5 | Albania U21 | 8 | 5 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Seven
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy U21 | 8 | 19 |
| 2 | Turkey U21 | 8 | 15 |
| 3 | Rep of Ireland U21 | 8 | 13 |
| 4 | Hungary U21 | 8 | 12 |
| 5 | Liechtenstein U21 | 8 | 0 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Eight
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England U21 | 8 | 21 |
| 2 | Norway U21 | 8 | 16 |
| 3 | Belgium U21 | 8 | 11 |
| 4 | Azerbaijan U21 | 8 | 7 |
| 5 | Iceland U21 | 8 | 3 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Nine
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France U21 | 8 | 21 |
| 2 | Slovakia U21 | 8 | 15 |
| 3 | Romania U21 | 8 | 14 |
| 4 | Kazakhstan U21 | 8 | 4 |
| 5 | Latvia U21 | 8 | 2 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Ten
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland U21 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Armenia U21 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | France U21 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Kazakhstan U21 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Belarus U21 | 1 | 0 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Eleven
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden U21 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Denmark U21 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Macedonia U21 | 2 | 0 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Twelve
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bulgaria U21 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Ukraine U21 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Croatia U21 | 2 | 0 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Thirteen
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel U21 | 2 | 4 |
| 2 | Turkey U21 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Wales U21 | 2 | 1 |
European Under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Fourteen
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France U21 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Slovenia U21 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Scotland U21 | 2 | 0 |
