Luke O’Donnell involved in Irish U-16 draw with Switzerland

Luke O’Donnell was a second-half substitute in the Republic of Ireland’s 2-2 draw with Switzerland in Oliva Nova, Spain, on Wednesday night.  

The Buncrana native - currently on the books of Derry City FC -entered the fray on 61 minutes - with the game locked at one each. 

All the goals came in the second half with Shamrock Rovers' James Roche and Bohemians' Luca Callicoe finding the net for Ireland. Dion Cakolli and Eilano Guido hit the goals for Switzerland.

It was Switzerland who began brighter and came close in the 10th minute. Celtic's Marcus Gill was forced into a smart save down to his left to deny Neil Volken from close range. Egor Vassenin was on the spot to clear the loose ball from off the line.

In the 18th minute Vassenin went close with a direct free-kick but his effort couldn't find the inside of Elia Pecora post and both teams went in at the break scoreless.

The game soon came alive in the second half. Ireland were ahead in the 47th minute through Roche. A corner delivered into the box was headed goalwards by the defender, it took a deflection on its way to goal and managed to evade Pecora for Ireland to take the lead.

However their lead was short lived when Switzerland struck back. Dion finished a one-on-one to equalise for the Swiss in the 52nd minute and in the 70th minute Guido netted a second with a composed finish after rounding Gill.

Three-minutes later Ireland were level. A free-kick out wide taken by Richard Vodo was met by Callicoe whose powerful header couldn't be kept out the net despite Pecora's getting a hand to it.

That would be the end of the scoring with both teams set to meet each other again on Friday afternoon at the same venue.

Republic of Ireland: Gill, Coffey, Callicoe, Roche, Vassenin (Fitzgerald, 79), M. Moore (C), Sean Moore (Umeh, 61), Vodo (Ring, 82), Orazi (Solanke, 79), Murray (O'Donnell, 61), Melia (Ochoa Moloney, 82) 

Switzerland: Pecora, Akahomen, Rufener, Ajdin, Cakolli, Tirpanci, Rau, Volken, Sommer, Santor, Rexhaj

Substitutes: Sinanaj, Bieler, Niedermann, Philippin, Kospo, Aguilar, Tairi, Turhan, Coric, Cassese, Guido, Moreno

Referee: Alberto Sánchez (Spain).