Franco Umeh's brace seals 2-0 victory for Ireland's Under-19 against Scotland

Franco Umeh's impressive double proved pivotal as Ireland Men’s Under-19 team clinched a 2-0 win against a determined Scottish side in a friendly match at the Pinatar Arena.

This victory is particularly satisfying for Tom Mohan's squad, considering their recent draw and a narrow defeat in back-to-back friendlies against Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Amid the sizzling 27-degree heat on Spain's east coast, the young Boys in Green seemed determined to rewrite their previous performance's narrative.

They started confidently, threatening the Scots' defense early on.

A promising chance saw Joe O’Brien Whitmarsh of Cork City and Crystal Palace's Umeh come close to scoring, with the latter just missing the mark.

Despite Scotland's mounting pressure and significant corner count lead of 5-0 by halftime, the Irish defense remained resolute.

A crucial player in this defensive effort was Drogheda United's young talent, Andrew Wogan, who consistently foiled the Scottish advances.

Ireland came back after halftime with renewed vigor.

Captain James McManus and Romeo Akachukwu's relentless midfield efforts set the stage for Ireland's breakthrough.

The deadlock was finally broken just before the hour mark when Umeh capitalized on a well-executed forward play by Mark O’Mahony and Freddie Turley.

A precise ball from Turley found O’Mahony, who then expertly set up Umeh for the opening goal, which he fired into the net off the woodwork.

The dynamic duo of O’Mahony and Umeh proved lethal once again, combining beautifully to score Ireland's second goal.

This time, half-time substitute Conor Walsh launched the ball to O’Mahony, who set up Umeh to slot home confidently against the oncoming Scottish goalkeeper.

Tom Mohan and his team shift their focus to the next friendly against the Faroe Islands on Saturday morning.

Ireland: Andrew Wogan (Conor Walsh, 45’), Freddie Turley (Luke O’Regan, 72’), Lewis Temple (Cathal Heffernan, 58’), Jesse Dempsey (James Crawford, 72’), James McManus (Senan Mullen, 86’), Romeo Akachukwu (Darius Lipsuic, 72’), Joe O’Brien Whitmarsh (Tommy Bloxham, 58’), Sean Moore (Trent Kone-Doherty, 58’), Franco Umeh (Warren Davis, 86’), Mark O’Mahony (Caden McLoughlin, 72’), Luke Browne

Scotland: Woody Williamson, Jack Kingdon, Magnus Mackenzie, Louis Jackson, Charlie McAarthur, Lennon Miller, Johnny Emerson, Daniel Kelly, Rory Wilson, David Watson, Bobby Wales