Hunt gets behind Long shot

WITH a line already drawn through Kevin Doyle’s name, Giovanni Trapattoni must have winced even more than Robbie Keane when the Ireland captain went down under Damien Delaney’s tackle in Malahide yesterday.

That said, it could have been worse. Keane might have been ruled out there and then, for example, and if the Italian was ever going to face a crucial qualifier without either of his two first-choice strikers then now would be as good a time as any.

Why? Two words, basically. Shane Long.