Ireland created the first chance on 14 minutes when Aaron Connolly got free down the left but keeper Hugo Jan Backovsky charged from his goal to save. The ball broke to Thomas Byrne but again the Czech netminder got in a vital block to deny the hosts the lead goal.
Jan Backovsky was called into action to make another smart save six minutes later when Lee O’Connor linked up well with Aaron Connolly down the right channel but his low right-footed strike was well held by the keeper.
Mark Travers, who was a mere spectator for the opening quarter of the tie, came to his sides rescue with an excellent save on 27 minutes. Vaclav Drchal slipped the ball into the path of Antonin Rusek but the Irish keeper got down well to his left-hand post to keep out the ball.
Thomas Byrne gave Ireland the lead with a brilliant goal three minutes later when the centre forward beat the offside trap before clinically chipping a superb left-footed effort over the head of the advancing keeper from 20 yards.
Czech Republic levelled the tie in the 37th minute when the Irish failed to press midfield player Michal Sadilek and he beat keeper Mark Travers with a cracking right-footed shot from 25 yards that flew into the left corner of the net.
Patrik Zitny, who entered the fray at the half time break, could have put the visitors in front on 54 minutes when he raced clear on goal on the left side of the area before dragging a shot inches wide of Travers far post.
The hosts got the win that their performance in the driving rain deserved in the final minute when Anthony Scully beat the offside trap to race onto a flick from Aaron Connolly before drilling a low right-footed shot under the body of Czech keeper Hugo Jan Backovsky.
The sides meet again at the same venue on Monday afternoon (1.00pm).
Republic of Ireland: Mark Travers, Tyreke Wilson, Aaron O'Driscoll (Luke McNally ’87), Dara O’Shea, Conor Coventry (Jordan Doherty ’71), Lee O’Connor, Daniel McKenna (Jack Keaney ’87), Kian Flanagan (Anthony Scully ’80), Rian O’Sullivan (Neil Farugia ’87), Aaron Connolly, Thomas Byrne (Jonathan Afalobi ’90)
Czech Republic: Hugo Jan Backovsky, Filip Cihak (Lukas Neuer ’46), Michal Sadilek, Vaclav Dudl (Jiri Slama ’85), Jan Fortelny (Michael Honig ’69), Antonin Rusek (Filip Kubula ’90), Richard Sedlacek (Ladislav Krejci ’69), Jan Kral, Karel Schneider, Pavel Zifcak, Vaclav Drchal (Patrik Zitny ’46)
Results & Fixtures
Under 19 International Friendly
Saturday, September 2
Republic of Ireland 2-1 Czech Republic, RSC
Monday, September 4
Republic of Ireland v Czech Republic, RSC, KO 13:00
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