Soccer: Ireland under pressure in first half

A noisy full-house crowd and plenty of pre-match squabbling produced an electric atmosphere at Lansdowne Road and tackles were soon flying in.

Staunton came off worst in a shoulder charge with Luis Figo, the Portuguese captain in place of suspended Fernando Couto, and Niall Quinn took a wild kick from defender Litos on the chin.

The Irish free-kick, 30 yards out, was wasted and it was Figo who had the first real chance at the other end in the fifth minute.

He ran at the defence and benefited from a lucky run of the ball as he glided past Staunton and then Mark Kinsella but steered his low left foot shot wide from the edge of the area when he should have at least tested keeper Shay Given.

Staunton won two important headers as Portugal poured in dangerous crosses from both flanks, but the Republic battled determinedly to close down most avenues of attack.

The opening 15 minutes produced a string of free-kicks against both sides and when Figo ripped one in from 30 yards out on the left it just cleared Given’s stretching grasp but also the crossbar.

Ireland showed signs of settling into a pattern, feeding balls into Quinn down the middle and angled deliveries for Robbie Keane to get out wide.

Keane brilliantly sidestepped two challenges to burst into the box from the left but the Portugal cover was good and he was robbed before he could get his shot away.

It was Roy Keane who got them out of jail on the half-hour mark as Rui Costa hit the post and Keane shielded the ball for the rebound.