Gibson’s rocket ignites Ireland

JAMES McCARTHY might have been cast in the Enda Kenny no-show role last night but there was no debate about the winning candidate at the Aviva Stadium, as a rocket to remember from Darron Gibson illuminated what, until then, had been a drab occasion and provided the first of three good reasons why a crowd of just 20,900 were, in the final analysis, glad they’d turned up for the inaugural Carling Nations Cup game.

Rolling back the years with an impressive display, Damien Duff added a second before Keith Fahey made it three with a precise free-kick, as Giovanni Trapattoni’s side equalled their best margin of victory to date, while his youthful Welsh counterpoint, Gary Speed, suffered a sobering introduction to international management.

Even more than the winning result, however, Giovanni Trapattoni will have been pleased with the confirmation that he now has an increased range of options at his disposal. Without ever being overly tested, Aston Villa’s Ciaran Clark acquitted himself well enough on his debut at left back while Stoke’s Jon Walters was a lively presence in the opposition box on just his second appearance in the green shirt.

Seamus Coleman might have been more cool than red-hot but the Everton youngster did enough to show why he should be vying for a first preference vote when the only poll that counts comes around against Macedonia in March.

Last night, Trapattoni started the 22 year old on the right-side of midfield, where he has already excelled for Everton this season and, although he didn’t get too many opportunities to burn rubber, he looked perfectly at home on his first outing in international football.

The Donegal man’s very first touch was assured and his second, a perfect lofted pass to Kevin Doyle, deserved better than referee Mark Courtney’s decision not to give Ireland the advantage after a Welsh foul in the build-up. And, a minute later, showing the kind of effort that would gladden any gaffer’s heart, Coleman was tracking back, doing the dirty work to help John O’ Shea clear the Irish lines.

His first trademark run at the Welsh rearguard was completed with a deep cross to the far post which found Damien Duff in space, the veteran winger’s attempt at returning the compliment shaving the upright as some decent Irish pressure looked like it might reap an early reward.

Unfortunately, the game entered a period of prolonged doldrums after the first fifteen minutes, the window dressing of a tribal tournament unable to disguise a distinct lack of competitive urgency. Coleman was forced to come inside on too many occasions and though he nearly always managed to use the ball productively when he did, a lack of regular service to the flanks, meant he was getting little or no chance to fire up the turbo-charged engine that has brought Goodison Park to its feet so often this season.

Not for the first time, it took Kevin Doyle to inject some fizz into the occasion, his run and shot in the 35th minute finally bringing Wayne Hennessy in the Welsh goal into action but, again, it was Coleman who was centrally involved as Ireland came closest to breaking the deadlock two minutes later.

First, it was the Everton man’s sheer speed which forced full-back Sam Ricketts into a foul and then, after Darron Gibson had played a short free back to him, Coleman chipped an inviting ball into the box which his fellow debutant Ciaran Clark headed just wide of the post.

Shane Long’s introduction at the start of the second period acknowledged his claims as Ireland’s most in-from striker in English football but this was not to be his night. After being superbly set up by Damien Duff, the Reading man couldn’t keep his first attempt on goal below the bar while, moments later, it was Duff’s turn to look bemused after he lost his footing when, somewhat fortuitously, put clean through, and Hennessy was able to parry the effort.

But cometh the hour – or, at least, one minute short of it – and cometh the man in the shape of Darron Gibson. Neither of Ireland’s central midfielders had exactly been challenging for the man of the match up to that point, but after a neat exchange with Glenn Whelan, Gibson reminded us of why he is so highly rated by blasting a spectacular effort into the top corner from 25 yards out.

With Ireland now dominating, Jonathan Walters burnished his growing reputation by setting up an increasingly influential Duff to double Ireland’s lead. Next, Stoke’s Marc Wilson got to make his debut as a replacement for Gibson, arriving on the pitch just in time to be an eyewitness observer as Keith Fahey found the corner of the net with an unerring free-kick ten minutes from the end.

With Richard Dunne in imperious form at the back for Ireland throughout, the clean sheet was an added bonus on a night when, from unpromising beginnings, the faithful were left with reasons to be cheerful before the really significant stuff resumes next month.

Subs for Ireland: Long for Doyle (46), Fahey for Coleman (59), Keogh for Duff (71), Green for Whelan (76), Wilson for Gibson (81), O’Shea for O’Dea (85).

Subs for Wales: Gunter for Earldey (46), Vaughan for Ledley (61), Robson-Kanu for Eastwood (68), Easter for Earnshaw (80), Nyatanga for Rickets (83).

Referee: Mark Courtey (N Ireland).