Doyle keeps group on boil

READING striker Kevin Doyle was the hero as the Republic of Ireland kept their European Championship qualifying campaign on track with a 12th-minute winner that keeps Ireland in the hunt for a top-two finish in Group D, and with it a place in next year’s finals.

The win was the Republic’s fourth successive group victory, a feat achieved on only three previous occasions in their history when they qualified for the 1990, 1994 and 2002 World Cup finals.

It was also a retort to Staunton’s critics, as the barbs that followed Saturday’s victory over Wales had done little to foster relations between the 38-year-old and the media.