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Wilfried Gnonto converted a penalty and saw his last gasp header deflected in to give Italy a crucial 2-2 draw in the Republic of Ireland, keeping them top of the European Under-21 Championship qualifier group.
The Azzurrini had not conceded a single goal in the four qualifiers so far, but showed sluggish marking in Cork and only scraped a point with the last kick of the game.
Willy Gnonto came sliding on to a Prati ball over the top, turning it just wide, but the Republic of Ireland opened the scoring with their first genuine attempt.
Sinclair Armstrong pulled back from the by-line and Sam Curtis practically sat on the ball rather than tap in at the back post undisturbed, but Killian Phillips was also unmarked and ready to bundle over the line from six yards.
Anselmo Garcia MacNulty’s header flashed wide from a free kick, but Italy received a penalty for Mohammed Lawal’s handling offence on a Gnonto cross-shot. The Leeds United man took the spot-kick himself to equalise.
The hosts restored their advantage at the dawn of the second half, as a Sean Grehan cross seemed to surprise everyone, bounce off the far post and was tapped in on the rebound by Armstrong. Sebastian Desplanches seemed to assume it would go wide.
Luca Koleosho came on and immediately put a great cross on the boot of Giovanni Fabbian, who fired straight at the goalkeeper.
Armstrong also threatened a third for Ireland, denied this time by Desplanches one-on-one, but Italy had a huge double opportunity in the final minutes.
Gnonto’s daisy-cutter from the edge of the area bounced off the upright and Mattia Zanotti thought he had equalised on the rebound, only for Joshua Keeley to just about stop the ball completely crossing the line.
Italy managed to equalise with a chaotic move and the last kick of the game. Koleosho’s ball was floated into the box, Edoardo Bove’s shot was deflected into the path of Gnonto, whose header at the back post ricocheted in off Matthew Healy.
It means Italy retain top spot on 11 points, followed by the Republic of Ireland on 10, Norway 9, Latvia 7, Turkey 6 and San Marino 0.
Rep Ireland 2-2 Italy
Phillips 31 (RI), Gnonto pen 45, 96 (I), Armstrong 48 (RI)
Republic of Ireland: Keeley; Grehan, Lawal, Garcia MacNulty; Curtis, Healy, Adeeko, Roughan (Adaramola 91); Phillips; Armstrong (Kenny 82), Emakhu (Murphy 93)
Italy: Desplanches; Zanotti, Coppola, Pirola, Calafiori (Turricchia 83); Bove, Prati, N’Dour (Koleosho 56); Fabbian (Ambrosino 76); Esposito (Casadei 46), Gnonto
