Ireland’s long wait to play at a first Euro Under-21 Finals is destined to go on for two more years as this defeat to Italy at Tallaght surely puts qualification out of reach.

Irish boss Jim Crawford won’t give up, of course, but his team are now six points behind the Italians, with the same number of games played and Ireland have still to go to Italy in the last game of the campaign.

Yet this was just a game in which Crawford could have done with the likes of Adam Idah and Troy Parrott, eligible players but who are with the Irish senior team. Their strength would have served Ireland well against a more physically powerful side.

As well as the edge their strength gave them, Italy’s young lads played as most Italian football teams do. They were comfortable on the ball, resolute in defence, and always looking and probing for an opening to get at the Irish goal. Left-winger Emanuel Vignato was a real will-o-the-wisp, giving Ireland’s defence many problems with his direct running.

But it was a defensive slip that gave the visitors their goal in the 31st minute, with Jake O’Brien falling over on the turf and Lorenzo Lucca stepped in to smash the loose ball to the net.

Ireland were finding it very hard to get any traction in the game, with crisp Italian passing and strong tackling meaning spells on the ball were few and far between.

Crawford waited for just 10 minutes of the second half before making a double change. But it made no difference as space began to open up for Italy to strut their stuff.

Vignato blasted a great shot just over the cross bar, but the goal chance Ireland dearly wanted to fall their way to dig a point out of this match fell to Ross Tierney with ten minutes to go, but he directed his shot straight at the Italian keeper.

Italian sub Matteo Cancellieri scored the second goal in the 90 minute as Ireland pressed forward and Italy broke out. It was well deserved.

Ireland - Maher; O’Brien, McGuinness, Bagan; O’Connor, Kilkenny, Coventry, Wright; Smallbone, Noss; Whelan. Subs Ebosele for Noss and Kayode for Whelan 56mins. Tierney for Kilkenny and Devoy for Smallbone both 76mins

Italy - Carnesecchi; Bellanova, Lovato, Okoli, Cambiaso; Rovella, Esposito, Ricci; Colombo, Lucca, Vignato. Sub- Pirola for Lovato 33mins Cancellieri for Colombo 86mins Rannochia for Vignato 92mins

Referee - H. Fesnic (Rom)