Italy fall to Ireland’s friendly fire

THIS was the kind of night that could just give the meaningless end of season friendly a good name, as an Irish side which spent most of the 90 minutes defending as if for its very life, somehow ended up recording a memorable, if almost inexplicable, 2-0 win against Italy.

It might not have had the glory of Rome (if you’re Italian) or Giants Stadium (if you’re Irish), and it lacked the authentic knife-edge competitive drama of both Bari and Croker, yet this latest meeting between two old foes was, in its own way, as remarkable as any which have come before.

It also marked a test of strength between age and youth, as the master Giovanni Trapattoni went head to head with the apprentice Cesare Prandelli. And guess who won? A clue: by night’s end, the small Irish support in a crowd of just over 21,000 were happily roaring “Oh Trapattoni, he used to be Italian but he’s Irish now”.