Kerr’s pressure points

AT Malahide United’s training ground yesterday, a number of familiar faces were missing from the Republic of Ireland’s first training session of what is shaping up to be a decisive World Cup week.

The reality is less worrying than first appearances might have suggested virtually the whole squad is expected to fly out to Cyprus this lunchtime.

Included will be Shay Given, Nicky Colgan, Kevin Kilbane and Stephen Carr, all of whom were due in late last night or early this morning, having been delayed by a variety of circumstances including, in the case of the Newcastle United full-back, a family bereavement.