Irish tap into spirit of Messi

ON a night when Ireland won the Carling Nations Cup, Robbie Keane matched Bobby Charlton’s British and Ireland record of 49 international goals and Paul McShane seemed briefly possessed by the spirit of Lionel Messi, perhaps the best news out of this game for Giovanni Trapattoni is that Shay Given is fit and ready for Skopje.

With Scotland not slow to shoot on sight, this was just the kind of workout the keeper needed ahead of the big test in Macedonia next Saturday, having been a virtual bystander in the 5-0 demolition of Northern Ireland. And the Donegal man came through a busy evening with flying colours, the pick of a string of fine saves when he tipped a 30-yard Phil Bardsley rocket onto the crossbar and over.

Once again, there were big empty expanses in the Aviva stands but at least the Tartan Army almost filled the shallow Havelock Square end and, from a rousing Flower Of Scotland onwards, brought out the vocal best in the hardcore local support at the opposite end of the ground, though it was surely more old habit than any grand sense of occasion which had them singing: “We’re going to win the cup.”

Scotland, with Charlie Adam pulling the midfield strings and Rangers’ Steven Naismith linking up well with front-man Kenny Miller, played the more coherent football in the first half. Darren O’Dea, for whom some 65 minutes of action here offered some vital match practice ahead of Skopje, had his hands full dealing with the lively movement in front of him. On one occasion, he was left trailing by Celtic’s Scott Brown and though he managed to get in a retrieving tackle, it merely helped the ball on to Adam, who fired just over the Ireland bar.

While Keane and the hard-working Simon Cox showed signs of a good understanding up front, Ireland were mainly feeding off scraps until, in the 24th minute, their improvisational ability produced a remarkable and, as it turned out, match-winning goal, in which the oft-maligned McShane played a starring, not to say startling, role.

The first part was pure McShane as he won the ball in a crunching tackle. The second was, well, near-Messi-like as he wowed the crowd with a bit of fancy footwork which bamboozled an opponent and allowed him to continue his surge deep into enemy territory. Then he passed to Keane, who raced forward and, before the Scottish rearguard had a chance to close him down, fired a left-footed drive low past — or, to be more accurate, through — Allan McGregor.

Still, there was no taking away from the stand-out quality of the build-up and finish to a goal which equalled England legend Charlton’s record in these islands and also took the skipper to within one of the magic 50.

By now, there was quite a tasty competitive edge to the game too. O’Dea chopped down Barry Robson but Given confidently held Adam’s bending free and then, 10 minutes before the break, Scott Brown reacted to Stephen Hunt’s incessant harrying by kicking out at the Wolves man. The next thing the two were going head to head and Welsh referee Mark Whitby had to intervene to lower the temperature. Whatever about the Scots, Hunty clearly doesn’t do friendlies.

He does do quick-thinking, though. Four minutes after the restart, his clever short free from the right gave Cox a glimpse of goal but the striker’s low, angled shot flew just wide.

At the other end, James Forrest, arriving late at the far post, missed a great chance to equalise for Scotland but Naismith was guilty of a much bigger howler when miscuing with the goal at his mercy in the 76th minute. Miller then got the better of McShane but not Given, as the keeper pawed away the striker’s attempt to flick the ball over him.

“We’d walk a million miles for one of your goals,” sang the Tartan Army sensing a breakthrough. But it wasn’t to be, Miller somehow finding the wrong side of the post on the only occasion when he actually did get the better of Given.

Nor was there to be a goal in a million for Keane, as Trapattoni decided to replace him with Keith Treacy in the 82nd minute.

Understandably, the manager wants to keep him right for Macedonia but the late timing was hardly the best.

Still, the crowd relished the chance to hail the Tallaght man almost as much as they had enjoyed chanting “Messi, Messi” whenever McShane was taking a throw-in. But, fittingly, the last word went to Given, the keeper comfortably holding Barry Bannan’s free just before the referee blew time on the first ever Carling Nations Cup.

As they say, we may never see its likes again.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Given, McShane, O’Dea (Foley 65), Kelly, Ward, Lawrence (Coleman 61), Andrews, Fahey, Hunt, Keane (Treacy 82), Cox.

SCOTLAND: McGregor, Whittaker, Hanley, Berra, Bardsley, Naismith, Brown, Adam (Bannan 61), Robson (Maguire 74), Forrest (McCormack 85), Miller.

Referee: Mark Whitby (Wales).