Kerr’s focus on Cup rivals

THE pity of last night’s press conference with Brian Kerr at Lansdowne Road was that it couldn’t have been held back for 24 hours, until France and Israel had done exchanging shirts - and hopefully points - in Tel Aviv.

Kerr will fly back to the Middle East to take in the game today and only then, after all four games of this mini-round robin international week in Israel, Paris and Dublin are over, that the Irish manager will truly be able to make a judgement on how far down the path the last five days leaves his team from Germany.

As for last night’s assignment, well that was never likely to set the pulses racing and so it proved. China hit town on the back of a 3-0 spanking in Spain and, when nine of their eleven starters took the field with sleeves tucked down over their knuckles, you wondered just how stiff a breeze it would take to knock them down.

As it transpired, they actually manufactured the evening’s two best chances before Morrison’s late contribution and impudent celebration, Zhano Junzhe and Sun Xiang coming close either side of the break against an Irish side that rarely raised itself above the ordinary.

“China did okay, defended well and had one opportunity,” said Kerr. “They worked very hard, had a good centre-back. They were good in the air and dangerous on the break once or twice but I’m more interested in how we played.”

Judged alongside the heavily criticised performance in Israel, the Easter report card doesn’t make the prettiest of reading, but the real interest for Ireland last night was always in the individuals rather than the collective.

Stephen Elliott and Andy Reid had more eyes on them than most, with the Sunderland striker playing the deeper role up front alongside Robbie Keane and the midfielder looking to further his claims on the wing.

“Stephen’s a young player in his first season of football as a first-team player. He’s scored a few goals and he played against Croatia last year but out wide and not in his main role, so it was important to see him play in the centre. It was awkward to tread the ball through with it bobbling all over the place. Down at ground level the pitch looked abysmal.”

There were other crumbs of comfort on an otherwise forgettable night in Ballsbridge. Paddy Kenny tucked a badly needed 90 minutes of international football under his shirt, giving a solid display in the process.

Richard Dunne, likewise, got his opportunity to repeat his recent impressive club displays at the back, although Alan Maybury’s night at right-back was more a mixed bag.

“We made six changes to the line-up and got more on that didn’t play on Saturday. It was important for Paddy Kenny to get a game.

“He played well without ever being under pressure. Alan Maybury got a run, Gary Doherty got on, Andy Reid got a full game and lads can feel that they’re in with a chance of playing. That’s important.”

The biggest plus for Kerr after this mid-season get-together has undoubtedly been the goals from Clinton Morrison, whose eye for goal with Ireland seems to get sharper - if not his match fitness - the longer Steve Bruce keeps him benched at Birmingham.

“It was a very good finish for the goal,” said Kerr. “We didn’t play too many balls in behind them. They were difficult to break down. It was a decent ball by Alan, a good run and a good finish.

“It took a while to come down and go in, but it was a good finish.

“I’d like him to play more often, I said on Saturday that he wasn’t as sharp as I would like. He was in the best of form I’d seen him in up until the transfer window in January.”