3/1 To Win
Derby County Under-18s midfielder Cian Kelly-Caprani was on target as the Republic of Ireland’s Under-18s recorded a 2-0 friendly victory over Hungary on Tuesday.
Kelly-Caprani, who also scored for Adam Robinson’s side in their 3-0 Under-18 Premier League - North win at Middlesbrough last weekend, played the full 90 minutes of the game in Budapest.
The game was the first of two international friendly games between the two countries this week in the Hungarian capital and Ireland Under-18s’ first match since September 2019.
Kelly-Caprani, on his first Ireland Under-18 appearance, opened the scoring before half-time as he capitalised on a mistake in the Hungary backline, latching onto a loose ball and rounding the goalkeeper to slot in from a tight angle to give Ireland a deserved lead.
Shamrock Rovers’ Dara McGuinness scored the crucial second goal in the second half to secure victory for Colin O’Brien’s side.
Both teams are back in action on Thursday as Ireland looked to do the double over Hungary.
Kelly-Caprani is currently in the second year of his scholarship in Derby’s Academy after joining from Bohemian Football Club in Ireland in the summer of 2020.
As a first-year scholar, he 12 appearances for the Under-18s, five of which were starts, playing in midfield roles or right wing.
