Troy's story is box office

PARROTT'S FLYING BUT NO SURPRISE HE'S SHOWING WORLD HIS TRUE COLOURS

- BY MARK MCFADDEN

CAOIMHIN KELLEHER could see it from way back.

In Kalmar, a city in southeast Sweden, in September six years ago, he was beaten in the 19th minute by Mattias Svanberg, now a senior international, and Ireland's winning start to the 2021 European Under-21s Championship qualifiers was under threat.

Six minutes into the secondhalf, Stephen Kenny threw on Troy Parrott for Danny Mandroiu.

Parrott scored the equaliser, a brilliant first-time shot, from a similar position to his second goal last Thursday against Portugal but this one flew high into the far corner.

Dara O'Shea was the first to congratulate him, as Parrott raced back into his own half to speed up the restart. Conor Masterson then put the Irish side ahead with three minutes to go, a superb header from a corner, the delivery and movement not far off the quality of Ireland's first against Portugal.

Then, in injury-time, as Sweden piled forward, Parrott was at his cheeky, brilliant best.