Trap calls for Ireland to shoot on sight

THREE players are making their competitive debuts and two of Ireland’s most senior figures have battled with injury problems to make the cut, but Giovanni Trapattoni is still confident that Ireland can keep up the pressure on leaders Russia in European Championship Group B by winning against Macedonia at the Aviva Stadium tonight.

With Sean St Ledger the latest first-choice player to be ruled out through injury, Keiren Westwood, Darren O’Dea and Kevin Foley will all make competitive debuts in a radically new-look back five, though the presence of Richard Dunne and, making his 65th successive competitive start, Kevin Kilbane, ensures that there will still be a couple of vastly experienced heads in the Irish defence. Coventry keeper Westwood was always going to come in for the injured Shay Given to win his sixth senior cap, while Wolves defender Foley was favourite to take over from John O’Shea at right-back. But if there is a surprise package, it’s the selection of O’Dea, currently on loan at Ipswich from Celtic, who has been chosen ahead of Ciaran Clark to partner Dunne because, says Trapattoni, O’Dea is a specialist stopper and a player with more consistent experience in a central position than the highly- rated Aston Villa newcomer currently playing for his club at left-back.

“Stopper is stopper,” said Trapattoni. “We need experience in this position and O’Dea has more experience.”