Republic of Ireland Defeats Real Murcia B: Finneran's Senior Debut
The Republic of Ireland’s week in Spain began with a quiet win and a loud statement about the future.
Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side brushed aside Real Murcia B 2-0 in a behind-closed-doors training game at the La Finca Resort Training Centre, a useful tune‑up for Saturday’s international friendly against Grenada – and a first real taste of senior football for one of Ireland’s most talked‑about teenagers.
Alli strikes, Idah finishes the job
Ireland controlled the tempo from the outset and thought they had an early lead, only for Millenic Alli to see a strike ruled out for offside. The winger didn’t sulk. He simply went again.
On 18 minutes, Alli found the breakthrough, this time timing his run and finish to perfection to put Ireland in front and settle any early rust. It was exactly the sort of sharp, direct moment Hallgrimsson will want to see carried into the weekend.
The game became what it was designed to be: a workout. Ireland rotated, probed, and managed minutes. Real Murcia B hung on, but the pressure never really lifted.
Adam Idah, introduced from the bench, applied the final touch late on, adding a second goal to seal a comfortable 2-0 win. No drama, no fuss, just a professional job done and another goal for a striker who needs rhythm and confidence heading into the summer.
Hallgrimsson used 17 players in total, spreading the load and giving fringe and emerging names a proper look. None drew more attention than the teenager wearing green at senior level for the first time.
Finneran’s first taste
For Rory Finneran, this was more than a training game. It was a marker.
The 18-year-old Newcastle midfielder, who made headlines in January 2024 as Blackburn Rovers’ youngest ever player after debuting at 15 in an FA Cup tie, started the first half and immediately looked eager to belong. He had an early effort blocked, showed for the ball, and got through valuable minutes before making way for Conor Coventry at the break.
This week already represents a rapid rise. Drafted into Hallgrimsson’s squad last Friday after injuries to Cardiff City defender Joel Bagan and Ipswich Town winger Kasey McAteer, Finneran has gone from late call-up to game action in a matter of days.
Speaking to FAI TV in Murcia, the Manchester-born former Ireland under-17 captain, who qualifies for Ireland through his Sligo roots on his father’s side, did not hide what it meant.
“Massively proud moment,” he said, describing how the call caught him off guard. “I didn’t expect it. A late call in but a massive achievement for me and I’m looking forward to the week.”
He admitted he even let the message from Hallgrimsson sit for a couple of hours on his day off before replying, then quickly realised the scale of the opportunity once he spoke to the manager.
“It’s good to get around the lads that play first team professional high level, it’s good get around it and see what they do day to day,” he added, sounding more like a player intent on learning than one simply happy to be there.
The ambition is clear. This run-out against Real Murcia B is not the end point, just the start.
“Obviously that’s the goal for this week,” Finneran said of a potential competitive debut. “It’s up to me in training, doing what I can to impress and show what I can do at that level.”
Ireland’s win in Spain will barely register beyond the camp. But for a teenager chasing his first competitive cap, and a manager shaping the next phase of this squad, these quiet days at La Finca could prove far more significant than the scoreline suggests.
