Kerr angry as Russians gain advantage

Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has slammed the decision to make Georgia play a match behind closed doors following the knife-throwing incident when the two teams met in Tbilisi last month.

Georgia will have to play their Euro 2004 qualifier against Russia on April 30 in an empty stadium after Sunderland midfielder Kevin Kilbane was hit by a pen-knife thrown from the crowd.

The knife was just one of a number of missiles thrown from the crowd on a hostile night in the Georgian capital.

The Irish went on to win the game, Kerr's first competitive match in charge since taking over from Mick McCarthy, with goals from Damien Duff and Gary Doherty.

The ban follows a precedent set by UEFA during the qualifying campaign for next year's European Championship as they continue to show their determination to "get tough" on crowd trouble.

But Kerr is unhappy because the decision may not do Irish ambitions any favours, as Georgia are bottom of the group with just one point from three games.

Meanwhile, second-placed Russia, who beat Ireland 4-2 during McCarthy's tenure, are two points ahead of Kerr's side having played a game fewer.

Ireland are second bottom, four points adrift of group leaders Switzerland.

"The decision saddens me greatly," Kerr told the Football Association of Ireland website, www.fai.ie.

"Ourselves and Switzerland have had to go there and play in front of a partisan and volatile crowd and this decision gives Russia an unfair advantage."

The punishment follows comparable penalties handed out by UEFA in the last six months.

Slovakia were ordered to play their match against Liechtenstein behind closed doors following racist abuse aimed at Arsenal defender Ashley Cole during England's trip to Bratislava last autumn.

And England themselves must hope for clemency from UEFA after European football's governing body confirmed that they intend to investigate the two pitch invasions and racist singing at the Turkey game in Sunderland earlier this month.

Hungarian side Ferencvaros and Partizan Belgrade have suffered the same fate as the Slovakians after incidents in European club ties.

Meanwhile Wales' bid to reach next year's European Championships has been rocked by the suspension from world football of Azerbaijan which could see their two wins against them expunged from the qualifying competition.

Wales are currently top of group nine with a 100% record and four straight wins, meaning Mark Hughes' team have one foot in next summer's finals in Portugal.

But two of those wins were against Azerbaijan and FIFA's decision to take action because of repeated violations of their code of conduct by the country's Football Association could dent Welsh hopes of taking part in their first major tournament finals since the World Cup of 1958.

FA of Wales international secretary Mark Evans described the blow as a "bolt from the blue" and added: "We have beaten them twice but they held Serbia to a draw which means one of our major group rivals has dropped two points to them.

"If the results are eventually expunged, we would obviously suffer most."

FIFA's ban specifically included the current Euro 2004 qualifiers, and immediately at risk is Serbia-Montenegro's tough trip to Baku on June 11 with Wales hoping Azerbaijan could repeat February's 2-2 draw in Belgrade which has given Hughes' men a crucial advantage in the group.

Azerbaijan has been in soccer uproar for months with the league programme suspended and top clubs banned from UEFA club competitions.