Stan ’n’ Dunney bask in glory

THE Stan ’n’ Dunney mutual appreciation society is up and running.

With 24 hours to reflect on the details of a most rewarding debut game as Irish manager, Steve Staunton has chosen to heap special praise on the performance of Manchester City centre-half Richard Dunne in Wednesday night’s 3-0 victory over Sweden.

“In my mind Dunney was man of the match, a colossus,” said Staunton - quite an accolade for the big Dubliner on a high-scoring night when most of the attention was focused on Ireland’s attacking prowess and, in particular, a sparkling display by Damien Duff.