Irish top Celtic celebration

Glasgow Celtic 0 Republic of Ireland XI 1

Played in front of a massive 52,000 crowd on a sunny afternoon, the game took place in a carnival atmosphere on the day after Celtic had lifted the Scottish Cup.

The mood of Celtic unity was perhaps best summed up before the game when the Irish national anthem was sung first in English and then in Irish.

Jackie McNamara may have taken most of the plaudits, but the biggest cheers were reserved for homecoming heroes Henrik Larsson and Lubo Moravcik, both of whom appeared for the Hoops in the second half of a game which saw numerous substitutions on both sides.

Celtic's Aiden McGeady even managed the distinction of turning out for both sides in the course of the game.

But there was also more than a little poignancy in the air, as Martin O'Neill bade an emotional farewell to Parkhead. "I'm overwhelmed. It's been brilliant to have been part of the history of this great football club. I don't think it's the end of an era, it's the start of a new one," he said.

There was a note of sadness in the Irish camp too, with the news that John O'Shea had withdrawn from the game following the death of his grandmother, whose funeral takes place today. Kerr expressed his sympathy publicly after the game, and said that the Manchester United man will rejoin the Irish squad when they gather in Dublin tomorrow after a one-day break.

Even if never threatening to rival Liverpool-AC Milan as a thriller, the game proved to be a useful exercise for the players and manager, ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Israel at home and the Faroe Islands away.

With Stephen Carr ruled out of the Israel game through suspension and doubts persisting over the fitness of both Alan Maybury and Steve Finnan, Kerr utilised Blackburn's Steven Reid in the right-back position and was pleased with what he saw.

The Irish manager is waiting to hear definite word from Leicester City on Maybury's back problem, while there will also be further checks on Steve Finnan, who is due to fly into Dublin tomorrow.

The performances of Matt Holland and Graham Kavanagh, who are in contention for the place of the suspended Roy Keane against Israel next Saturday, gave Kerr more food for thought, and while Keane began the second half in midfield before reverting to centre-back, dual player Gary Doherty travelled even further in the opposite direction, starting the game at centre-half and finishing it up front, as the entire squad got a run-out.

And after recent worries about his fitness, perhaps the best news for Irish fans is that Damien Duff showed no lingering ill-effects with a lively second-half performance.

After a fairly pedestrian first 45, the tempo rose a little in the second period which, coupled with the overall tightness of the encounter, served the manager's purposes well.

"I think it was better like that than a match where it's laughey-jokey stuff and messy goals," said Kerr. "That wouldn't have been any use to us.

"We didn't get any injuries, although (goalkeeper) Joe Murphy was a bit dizzy after getting a bang in the head making a block in the last minute. But it's nothing to worry about."

Kerr was particularly pleased that Duff had a good outing. "He needed a bit of a break before this. He had played so frequently for Chelsea for a long period before getting the hamstring problem. But he's had an intense season and after getting 70 minutes last week (in South Korea), I think today was very important to him."

Overall, Kerr reported himself happy with his team's preparations for the World Cup games.

"I think they're mentally prepared for the task ahead. I'm satisfied with their attitude they were mustard-keen to be here today and for the last few days of training. There's plenty of confidence. And I think we have every reason to be that way. We've shown ourselves to be a good team in the group."

And is Israel a must-win game? "We could win the group without winning the two games," he grinned. "It would make it much more difficult but mathematically it would be possible. But, of course, the target is six points."

Kerr was delighted with a memorable day at Celtic Park, when the overwhelming warmth of the reception for the Irish was tarnished only by the repeated booing of Liam Miller, the young Cork player who left Parkhead for Old Trafford.

GLASGOW CELTIC: Douglas (Marshall, 34; Hedman 60), McNamara (Agathe 54), Varga (McManus 34), Balde, Laursen, Beattie (Larsson 60), Lennon (Sylla 60), Lambert (Donnelly 84), McGeady (Fernandez 45), Sutton (Maloney, 34) Bellamy (Wallace 34; Moravcik 72).

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND XI: Given (Kenny 45; Murphy 72), Reid S (Carr 84), Doherty, Cunningham (O'Brien 45), Carr (McCarthy 72), Quinn (Holland 45), Miller (Keane Roy 45), Kilbane (Kavanagh 45), Reid A (Duff 45) Morrison (Keane Robbie 45), Elliott (McGeady 72).

Referee: Brian Cassidy.