The Republic of Ireland Under-19s fell to a narrow defeat for the second time in the Midlands tournament when Ukraine grabbed the win at Leah Park on Tuesday night. Irish manager Sean McCaffrey made eight changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Portugal, pairing Paul Murphy of Ipswich Town and Drogheda United striker Darragh McNamara up front.

Ireland were the livelier of the teams early on and Murphy found an opening from an acute angle after only three minutes but stroked the ball marginally past the post. Karnoza Artur, the Ukrainian playmaker, then headed wide after seven minutes and again went close three minutes later with a shot but Kieron Thorp got down well to save.

Murphy was on the end of another attempt for Ireland midway through the half when he met a Shane O’Connor cross from the left on the volley but Timur scampered back to clear the ball off the line. Ukraine possessed plenty of dead-ball specialists in their team and they broke the deadlock through a superb free-kick five minutes into the second half.

Korkishko Dmytriy whipped the free-kick from just right of centre around the wall and into the net past the despairing dive of goalkeeper Thorp. Artur tried his luck with a free on the hour mark and Thorp displayed his agility by palming the ball around the post for the corner just as it seemed a second goal was arriving.

Jamie Devitt was beginning the get the better of his marker on the right-flank and the Hull City player was at the hub of Ireland’s attacks in the final 20 minutes. One of his deliveries from the flank with 13 minutes fell kindly for substitute Paddy Madden to unleash a shot from close-range yet Belyi Maksim got across to block the effort.

Dmytriy might have extended the lead on 84 minutes but he was just missed out on a second goal after he skewed his shot a foot wide of Thorp’s post. In Tuesday's other Under-19 four nations international tournament between Spain and Portugal, a goal from Jordi Pablo Ripolles earned the Spaniards all three points which all but secured first place in the inaugural tournament.