From a whisper to a scream as Andy proves handy

WHEN IN DOUBT, always turn to Dylan, I say.

In this case, however, the eponymous sage is neither Bob nor Thomas, but a 13-year-old from Monaghan who texted his mum as Saturday’s game at Croke Park wended its dreary way to what would have been an even drearier conclusion but for Andy’s Keogh last-minute intervention.

Exhibiting the kind of precocious football knowledge that only 13-year-olds can, Dylan said that he didn’t want Ireland to win, pointing out that Jack Charlton and Mick McCarthy had both lost their opening games as Ireland manager before going on to lead the team to the finals of the World Cup, whereas Brian Kerr and Steve Staunton had both won their opening games but subsequently failed to qualify for anything.

It’s probably as sound a reason as any to look on the bright side after a dull evening, and a reminder too that we should resist the urge to read too much into an end of season friendly.

Certainly, those seeking to discern vivid evidence of the Giovanni Trapattoni imprint would have needed recourse to a magnifying lens. Stephen Hunt might feel he was reined in a bit more than usual with defensive duties, while Robbie Keane, by contrast, was freed up to play more of an orthodox striker’s role but, in general, it was the similarities to the old Ireland, rather than the differences, which made the biggest impression — from the repeated search for Kevin Doyle’s head via the long ball to the all too familiar defensive howler which helped to gift Serbia the opening goal.

That came in the 74th minute when Ivica Dragutinovic flighted the ball forward from inside his own half. Paul McShane purposefully stepped up to play Marco Pantelic offside but without, apparently, communicating his intentions to either Richard Dunne or Damien Delaney who both stayed at their posts. The result was that Pantelic found himself with plenty of time and space with which to beat Dean Kiely.

In a game of few chances, Ireland had enjoyed the best one earlier in the first half when, after good work by Damien Duff, Serbian goalkeeper Stojkovic could only get a flimsy hand to his deflected cross and, reacting quickly to the loose ball, Robbie Keane was unlucky to see his goal-bound effort brilliantly cleared off the line.

And that was nearly all there was to write home about in terms of goal-mouth drama. There were reasonably solid debuts from Damien Delaney at left-back and Glenn Whelan in midfield. Doyle and Robbie Keane worked hard up front on Saturday, but the star man from the old boys brigade was Damien Duff.

Otherwise, reasons to be cheerful came from the injection of youth with the late substitutions, in the invigorating form of Daryl Murphy’s muscular presence, Shane Long’s hungry determination and Andy Keogh’s quicksilver instincts in front of goal. It was fitting that two of the subs should be involved in the stoppage time equaliser when, after Murphy had got in front of his marker to head on Stephen Kelly’s long throw, Keogh was on hand to make perfect contact with his volley.

It also produced a moment of comically demented joy on the bench as Marco Tardelli, almost but not quite eclipsing his celebrated goal celebration in the 1982 World Cup final, bear-hugged Trapattoni to within an inch of his life. Even Liam Brady was seen to break into the broadest of smiles.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Kiely, Kelly, Dunne, McShane, Delaney; Duff, Whelan, Miller, Hunt (Keogh 80), Keane (Murphy 69), Doyle (Long 85)

SERBIA: Stojkovic, Rukavina, Ivanovic, Rajkovic, Dragutinovic, Smiljanic, Jankovic, Illic (Kacar 85), Kuzmanovic, Babovic (Markovic 81), Lazovic (Pantelic 69).

Referee: Lee Evans (Wales).