Republic of Ireland 0
Russia 1
The Republic of Ireland will face Wales in the Pinatar Cup third/fourth-place play-off after a much-changed side were narrowly beaten by Russia in La Manga.
Elizaveta Lazareva's early strike proved the difference as the Girls in Green pulled up just short in the eight-team tournament in Southern Spain.
They will now face the Welsh, who were beaten on penalties by Belgium, at the same venue on Tuesday as they look to finish the campaign on a high.
Ireland boss Vera Pauw made eleven changes to the side that came from behind to be Poland in the quarter-finals and handed out three debuts in a youthful starting side.
Among those debutantes were Shelbourne duo Chloe Mustaki and Abbie Larkin, as well as Brighton & Hove Albion keeper Megan Walsh.
Walsh was busy early on as the Russians began at a great clip, and she got her hands on the ball early as she gathered a dangerous free kick from Chelsea's Alsu Abdullina.
And Claire Walsh was alert moments later to take the ball off the toe of Russia captain Nelli Korovinka as she looked certain to hammer home from close range.
There was little Megan Walsh could do the prevent Lazareva from breaking the deadlock on seven minutes, however.
A smart move saw Ekaterina Pantiukhina reach the right endline and pull back for Korovinka. Walsh saved with her foot from point-blank range.
Lazareva was first to the loose ball, however, and the Zenit St Petersburg playmaker lashed the ball into the roof of the net to give Russia the lead.
Ireland, after a nervy start, came into the game and two of the teenagers, Ellen Molloy and Larkin linked up, the former dribbling past three before Larkin shot at Julia Grichenko.
Leanne Kiernan and Amber Barrett both shot over before Liverpool's Kiernan forced a top-class save from Grichenko, who was at full-stretch to tip the 35-yard effort over.
Ireland improved with the introduction of captain Katie McCabe, whose absence from the starting line-up broke a 42-game streak, Denise O'Sullivan and Kyra Carusa.
It was Russia who finished the stronger, however, with Korovinka forcing two more smart stops from Megan Walsh in the dying stages.
Republic of Ireland: Megan Walsh; Diane Caldwell, Claire Walsh, Chloe Mustaki; Áine O'Gorman (Katie McCabe 65), Amber Barrett (Ruesha Littlejohn 46), Jamie Finn, Ellen Molloy (Denise O'Sullivan 65), Isibeal Atkinson (Jess Ziu 46); Leanne Kiernan (Lucy Quinn 83), Abbie Larkin (Kyra Carusa 65).
Russia: Julia Grichenko; Anna Belomyttseva, Kristina Mashkova (Yulija Bessolova 65), Elina Samoilova, Alsu Abdullina; Lina Iakupova, Tatiana Petrova (Vera Simanovskaya 65), Elizaveta Lazareva, Marina Fedorova, Ekaterina Pantiukhina, Nelli Korovkina.
Referee: Valentová Zuzana (Slovakia).
