Soccer: Ireland maintain unbeaten record

Cyprus 0 Republic of Ireland 4

Captain Marvel Roy Keane marked his 50th international with a glorious double that kept the Republic’s World Cup bandwagon rolling along in Nicosia.

What was feared to be a banana skin tie against the tricky Cypriots turned into a rout as Leeds United full-backs Ian Harte and Gary Kelly also got in on the scoring act.

It means the Republic go to Barcelona to face the makeweights of Andorra still unbeaten after four matches in the group.

And even from this distance they are beginning to get a clear view of the finals in the Far East in 2002.

Manager Mick McCarthy has had two near misses attempting to reach major events with his rebuilt side over the past five years but this clinical performance illustrated just how far he has come.

McCarthy’s father died earlier this week but he bravely stayed with his squad in a time of personal tragedy and they responded to his example.

Ireland, in unfamiliar white shirts, made a confident start on a cool, breezy night and left back Ian Harte, after running forward into acres of space, fancied his chances from 30 yards out but lifted his shot over the bar.

The Irish passing kept Cyprus penned into their own half during the early stages but when the home side broke away in the ninth minute, Kenny Cunningham was penalised for a foul in a dangerous spot less than 20 yards from goal.

But Milenko Spoljarik lifted his set-piece shot tamely into the arms of Shay Given.

The goalkeeper gave his team-mates hearts a few flutters when, having controlled a routine back-pass, he elected to dribble around striker Michael Constantinou and got away with it.

The open-air GSP Stadium was only three-quarters full and there were nearly as many Irish fans as Cypriot ones.

They saw David Connolly promise a 12th-minute breakthrough but he lofted his cross behind co-striker Robbie Keane.

A quickly-taken free-kick gave Mark Kinsella a shooting chance from just outside the area but he put his low effort wide of a post.

Then goalkeeper Nikos Panayiotou did well to punch out Kevin Kilbane’s cross under pressure.

And it was Kilbane’s volley after Connolly headed down that was deflected over the bar in the 24th minute when it appeared to be en route to the net.

Kilbane was close again with an angled chip which carried just over the top after a solo raid by Robbie Keane was only partially repelled three minutes later.

Robbie Keane trod on the ball as he tried to turn his marker when Kinsella played the ball into him in the box and the threat was cleared for a corner.

Panayiotou flapped unconvincingly at the flag kick and wafted it away only as far as Connolly whose instant drive on the half-hour from 20 yards flashed past a post.

It looked only a matter of time now for Ireland to score, but Roy Keane’s shot was just too high after Connolly made a run and set him up.

But Roy Keane made no mistake in the 32nd minute when Gary Kelly raced down the right and found him with a low cross. The Irish skipper’s shot from 18 yards took a deflection off Georgios Theodotou on the way in for only his sixth goal in 50 international appearances.

Cyprus almost equalised within two minutes but a deflection again favoured the Republic, Constantinou’s shot bouncing off Gary Kelly for a corner.

But Harte, wriggling through onto a loose ball after the Cypriot defence was stretched by a neat Connolly-Robbie Keane combination, was not far away from a second Irish goal.

And the Leeds full-back did not have to wait long to finally get it from the penalty spot in the 42nd minute.

Kilbane was brought down by Theodotou and Harte confidently sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.

Battling Cyprus hit back and Gary Kelly made two goalline clearances from the lively Constantinou in the closing minutes of the half.

Cyprus took off their sweeper Vassos Melanarkitis early in the second half and put on an extra midfielder in a bid to turn things round, but little Connolly almost put them 3-0 down, glancing a header just off-target from Harte’s cross.

Then when Connolly played an incisive through ball Robbie Keane was completely clear on goal but, in trying to curl his shot around the keeper, he put it wide.

Only Given prevented Cyprus pulling a goal back in the 65th minute when Kenny Cunningham slipped in trying to stop Ioannis Okkas breaking through.

The striker unselfishly squared the ball to Constantinou but from 10 yards out Cyprus’ leading scorer shot straight at the Newcastle goalkeeper who stood his ground well.

The visitors wrapped up the points when Kelly’s angled drive across the goal found the far corner and Keane won his battle with a defender for the ball before cutting in to score from close range but and acute angle.

And what had for long periods looked a difficult tie turned out to be a comfortable win for McCarthy’s men.