Republic of Ireland Under 21s were thwarted by a late equaliser as they drew 1-1 with Georgia at Tallaght Stadium.

Don Givens' side had been looking to strengthen their position in European Championship Qualifying Group Two after picking up just one point from their opening two games.

They made a good start to their home game with Georgia and took the lead through Alan Judge after 28 minutes.

The Republic held their advantage until deep into the second half but Georgia kept battling and eventually forced a leveller.

The crucial goal arrived with just one minute remaining as Giorgi Ivanishvili struck to salvage a point for the visitors.

Having previously lost to Turkey and drawn with Estonia, the Republic now face a battle to qualify for the 2011 tournament in Denmark.