Dara O’Shea, Jack Taylor and Chieo Ogbene started and Kasey McAteer came off the bench as the Republic of Ireland were beaten 2-1 by Armenia in a World Cup qualifier in Yerevan, while new signing Sindre Walle Egeli scored for Norway’s U21s.
O’Shea, winning his 37th full cap, lined up on the left of a back three with Ogbene, picking up his 26th, at right wing-back.
On the half-hour, Taylor, playing his seventh full international, seized on a loose ball on the right of the box but his low effort was saved.
With their side 1-0 down at half-time to a penalty just before the break, Ogbene and Taylor made way ahead of the restart with McAteer replacing the winger who is on loan at Sheffield United for the season.
The Irish conceded a second six minutes into the second half, before one-time Blues target Evan Ferguson pulled one back on 57, McAteer having initially won the ball.
McAteer, who took his caps total to eight, cut in from the right and shot over in the 62nd minute as the Boys in Green sought in vain to come from two behind to draw for the second time in four days.
But Armenia always looked the more likely winners and thought they’d netted their third in the penultimate minute only for VAR to rule it out for a tight offside.
Ireland now look outsiders to reach the World Cup finals even at this early stage having taken one point from their opening two matches.
Elsewhere, recent signing Walle Egeli scored once and assisted twice for Norway’s U21s as they defeated Slovenia 5-0 in a European Championship qualifier in Drammen, despite being reduced to 10 men 10 minutes into the second half.
The 19-year-old, who was replaced with 11 minutes left, was winning his eighth U21 cap with the goal his third at U21 level.
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Blues central defender Jacob Mazionis, who is on loan at Cheltenham for the season, won his second U21s cap with Lithuania as they drew 1-1 with Hungary at home in a European Championship qualifier with Town’s new loans manager Danny Searle watching from the stands.
Forward Josh Pitts won his third cap with Malta’s U21s as his side was beaten 5-0 at home by Greece in a European Championship qualifier.
First-year scholar Jayden Adetiba picked up an assist as the UAE U18s beat Ukraine’s U17s 3-0 at a tournament in Croatia.