Norwich City forward Adam Idah featured in a 25 minute second half cameo after his recent foot injury in the Republic of Ireland’s 1-0 Euro2024 home defeat to France on Monday night.

Idah replaced Brighton prodigy Evan Ferguson as part of a stirring late onslaught from Stephen Kenny’s team, who were only denied a point by two stunning saves from AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan.

The French stopper clawed out a header from his own defender Jules Kounde, before thwarting Nathan Collins with an acrobatic reaction save.

Benjamin Pavard's 50th minute strike from just outside the penalty area sealed this Group B qualifier, to make it two wins from two for Didier Deschamps' star-studded side, after thrashing the Netherlands 4-0 at the weekend.

Idah was booked for a pull on Dayot Upamecano in a frenetic finish to the contest in front of 50,219 at Dublin’s Aviva stadium.

The 22-year-old was passed fit for his country after joining up with the Irish squad last week, following a foot injury on club duty in the Canaries' 1-1 Championship draw at Huddersfield earlier this month.

City head coach David Wagner feared the forward could be out ‘for a number of weeks’ after Idah missed the goalless stalemate at Stoke prior to the international break.

Norwich return to Championship action at home to Sheffield United on Saturday. Club mate Andrew Omobamidele was an unused substitute for the Irish, after featuring in the previous 3-2 friendly win over Latvia.

Teenage Brighton forward Ferguson was preferred to Idah for his first competitive start at senior level. 

The visitors dominated the opening 45 minutes, but created few clear-cut opportunities, with Collins intervening to prevent Olivier Giroud from making the most of Randal Kolo Muani's clever back-heeled pass, after he had rounded the keeper but was forced wide.

Ireland did not muster a single attempt on goal, but they were the happier as the sides left the pitch at half-time with the French, who scored three times inside the opening 21 minutes against the Dutch, increasingly frustrated with the 0-0 scoreline.

The visitors took the lead within five minutes of the restart when Pavard picked off Josh Cullen's pass across the edge of his own penalty area and fired past Gavin Bazunu off the underside of the crossbar.

Moussa Diaby and Adrien Rabiot both forced saves from Bazunu as France looked to kill the game off.

However, Jayson Molumby and substitutes James McClean and Alan Browne all went close as the home side staged a last-gasp charge for an equaliser.

But it took a brilliant one-handed stop from in the final minute of normal time from Maignan to keep out Collins' bullet header as Les Bleus held on for a 1-0 win.

France opened up a three point lead at the top of Group B from Greece and the Netherlands, who got back to winning ways on Monday with a 3-0 home win over minnows Gibraltar.

City left back Dimi Giannoulis played 66 minutes for the Greeks in a 0-0 friendly draw against Lithuania earlier on Monday.