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NORTHERN Ireland suffered a 3-1 defeat in their Nationwide U21 International Challenge Match with Romania this afternoon at the Ballymena Showgrounds.

Roy Millar's side might have taken an eighth minute lead when Chris Turner was narrowly beaten to a David Howland cross at the near post by the lanky Romanian 'keeper.

The visitors first threatened on 16 minutes after an Adrian Ropotan shot pinged around the penalty area before being hacked clear by Rochdale's Rory McArdle.

And McArdle was involved again on 26 minutes when he combined with Chris Casement to force Chiacu Hristu into slicing the ball over the bar when well placed.

But the visitors broke the deadlock barely two minutes later when Torje delivered a right-wing cross which skipper Claudiu Keseru flicked on for Ciprian Deac to unleash a stunning 20-yard drive past Trevor Carson.

And the pair combined again on the stroke of half-time with a brilliant one-two for Keseru to beat Carson from inside the area.

However, Northern Ireland pulled one back four minutes after the hour. Chris Turner brought the ball forward from deep within his own half before releasing David Buchanan to knock it back across the area for Thomas Stewart to finish crisply.

Stewart almost levelled just three minutes after that when he bustled his way into the penalty area only for his resultant effort to drift just wide of the near post.

However the visitors restored their two goal advantage on 71 minutes when the impressive Keseru linked up with Torje for the latter to deliver the ball beyond substitute keeper Jonathan Tuffey into the bottom corner.

Aaron Callaghan came within a whisker of reducing the deficit five minutes from time with a powerful 20-yard drive only for Costel Pantilimon to produce a superb save in what was the last notable effort of the game.

Northern Ireland: Carson, Kane, McCaffrey, Casement, McArdle, Garrett, Turner, Howland, Waterworth, Carvill, Meenan subs Tuffey (replaced Carson 46), Callaghan (replaced McArdle 46), McVey (replaced Turner 79), Buchanan (replaced Howland 46), Mulgrew (replaced Meenan 60), Fordyce (replaced Waterworth 62), Stewart (replaced Carvill 62)

Romania: Tatausanu, Ninu, Latovlevici, Tudose, Mardare, Tanase, Torje, Ropotan, Hristu, Deac, Keseru subs Pantilimon (replaced Tatausanu 80), Sepsi (replaced Ninu 68), Litu (replaced Tanase 62), Bicfalvi (replaced Keseru 75), Ganea (replaced Torje 80), Ionescu (replaced Deac 58), Scutaru (replaced Mardare 77)

Referee: Mark Whitby (Wales)