DEAF SPORTS Watson Double Seals Ireland Deaf Qualification

The Ireland Deaf Men's Football team secured qualification for the 2011 European Deaf Football Championships in Denmark next summer with a 3-0 Second leg victory against their Slovakia counterparts in Bratislava on Saturday evening, securing an emphatic 9-1 aggregate win in the process.

This was a professional and assured performance by the Irish lads in what was a physical encounter played on a difficult playing surface.

A fired-up Slovakia team were stunned as early as the 2nd minute when Ireland deaf produced a flowing move down the left flank ending with Mark Sinclair's superb cross being headed into the far top corner by Andrew Wynne to open the scoring. In a game that Ireland dominated for long periods, their advantage was extended in the 66th minute with a great finish from a Jonathan Cosgrove cross and Watson competed the 3-0 scoreline 12 mins later with another sublime finish, this time after a great through ball from Colm Keogh.

Jubilant Ireland Deaf Football Director Sean Herlihy praised the performance of the players after a result that emphasizes that Ireland will be a serious force to be reckoned with in Denmark next Summer.