Published: Wednesday, 28th April, 2010 5:00pm

Byrne helps Ireland U-17s to qualify for Euro finals

BALLINAHOWN's Jennifer Byrne was part of the Ireland under-17 ladies' soccer team which made history last week.

The 17-year-old, who plays club football with Bealnamulla/Athlone Town, helped Noel King's team secure a coveted place at this year's UEFA European Championship finals in Switzerland.

It's the first ever time an Irish women's soccer team have qualified for a major finals, which are scheduled to take place in Nyon, Switzerland, for four days from June 22.

The Irish team travelled to Ukraine last week for the Elite Qualifying Phase of the European Championships, and faced Ukraine, Poland and Sweden, with only one team going through to the finals in Switzerland.

Ireland defeated Ukraine 3-1 in the opening game, before drawing 1-1 with Poland, meaning they needed a win against Sweden to ensure a ticket to Switzerland.

Jennifer, who didn't feature in the opening two matches, was called upon to play at centre-back against Sweden, and Ireland triumphed 2-1, to make a significant breakthrough for ladies' soccer in this country.

Speaking after the game against Sweden, Jennifer said: "It was a really tough game against Sweden and they were a very strong side, but the management kept telling us we were good enough to qualify for the European Championships, and now it's brilliant to do it. It's a great feeling for everyone involved with the squad and I can't really describe it, to be honest. We've worked very hard since last May and now we're looking forward to the European Championships in Switzerland."

At the four-team tournament in Switzerland, Ireland will face Germany in the semi-final, with the prize of a UEFA Championship final against the winners of Holland and Spain awaiting.

Noel King's side will also have an extra incentive at the finals this summer, as the top three teams at the tournament advance to the FIFA Women's Under-18 World Cup, which will take place in Trinidad & Tobago in September.

Germany, however, are bound to be very stern opposition for Ireland, having gone undefeated during the qualifying process without conceding a single goal.

"All teams at the tournament in Switzerland will be strong, but we'll give it our best shot," said Ballinahown's Jennifer.

Athlone duo in Ireland squad

Meanwhile, Athlone Town duo Robbie Benson and Tom O'Halloran are part of the Ireland Schools' side which plays England at the Pirelli Stadium in Burton this Friday, a game which can be seen live on Sky Sports (kick-off: 7.40pm).

Ireland, with six points to their credit from three matches, need to win on Friday to clinch the title, but a draw will be good enough for England to retain the Centenary Shield. Benson, a regular in Athlone Town's midfield over the past year and a half, represents Marist College at this level, while O'Halloran, who also broke into Athlone's first-team during the latter part of the 2009 season, is a student at Athlone Community College. Both Benson and O'Halloran have played an important part for the Republic of Ireland in the three previous games in this highly regarded under-18 tournament. In the previous game against Scotland in Finn Park, Ballybofey, O'Halloran ended up on the scoresheet after being set up by a Benson pass.

Another player who has played a very important part for Ireland during the tournament is Sean Skelly, brother of Athlone Town forward Austin Skelly.