World Cup Qualifier: Tough task for Holland

Matt Holland admits he will be attempting to replace the irreplaceable when he steps into Roy Keane’s golden boots for the Republic of Ireland’s must-win World Cup qualifier against Estonia tomorrow night.

But the 27-year-old Ipswich skipper, who has steered his unfashionable East Anglian side into the UEFA Cup next season with a fifth-place Premiership finish, insists his blood is not exactly running cold at the prospect of filling in for Ireland’s captain marvel.

He has already helped maintain a remarkable sequence of consistency at Portman Road.

‘‘I’ve just been very lucky with injuries,’’ said Holland, who has played a staggering 217 consecutive matches for Ipswich in four years since his £800,000 move from Bournemouth.

‘‘But there have times when I’ve had knocks and yet still got through games in which I probably shouldn’t have played.’’

Republic manager Mick McCarthy is again keeping his own counsel on the starting line-up which he will not reveal until just before kick-off time.

And there is a slight suspicion outside the camp that there may be another well-kept injury secret after the manager sent centre-back Gary Breen home to face a hernia operation last Friday before announcing only that day that the Coventry player was doubtful for the following day’s 1-1 draw with Portugal in Dublin.

But there is little doubt that Holland will take suspended Keane’s central midfield role.

Holland said: ‘‘All I can do is give it my best.

‘‘It’s no mean feat filling Roy Keane’s boots, there’s a lot to learn from him.

‘‘I’m coming in off the back of a great season at Ipswich and it is not as if it is the first time I’ve started for Ireland. If I play it will be my 11th cap and I’ve already scored twice.

‘‘The one I scored against Portugal a few months ago when we got a 1-1 draw was probably the biggest highlight of my career, along with winning the promotion play-off final with Ipswich at Wembley a year ago.’’

‘Play-off’ is a term barely whispered around the Republic squad these days after being beaten in three of them when trying to qualify for places at the last three major championship finals.

Holland, in fact, made his debut as a substitute in the fateful game in Macedonia in October 1999 when a stunning stoppage-time equaliser prevented McCarthy’s men finishing top of their group and earning a place at Euro 2000.

They lost on the away goals rule over two legs against Turkey in a play-off a few weeks later.

That completed a dreadful hat-trick, following a 3-2 aggregate defeat by Belgium ahead of World Cup 98 and a 2-0 beating by Holland in a one-off decider for Euro 96 - Jack Charlton’s last match as manager.

Now, following Luis Figo’s late equaliser in Dublin on Saturday, the Republic are in distinct danger of failing to finish top of their group again even though they are one point clear at the moment and still unbeaten.

Portugal have to face Cyprus, twice, Estonia and the cannon-fodder of Andorra.

McCarthy is convinced that will bring them a total of 24 points, meaning Ireland will have to win all their last three games, finishing with home ties against Holland and Cyprus, to match Portugal.

It is likely, too, that Portugal will finish with a superior goal difference and with the Dutch coming up fast after a sticky start to the campaign, Ireland could even be squeezed out of another runners-up play-off assignment.

Defeat here tomorrow night, where Estonia were five minutes from beating the Dutch before an amazing late collapse handed Louis can Gaal’s side a lucky 4-2 win, could be a mortal blow for the Irish.

It is not the best time to be without your inspirational captain and to be playing on a bumpy, worn pitch which the Republic’s Under-21 side also have to use tonight for a European championship qualifier.

McCarthy, who must admit he has had a fair rub of the green in taking his team this far with 11 unbeaten games on the trot in all internationals, has suddenly been blighted with injuries in the squad.

Steve Staunton will captain the side in his record-breaking 89th international, again partnering 21-year-old Richard Dunne in the emergency centre-back pairing enforced by the loss of Breen and Kenny Cunningham last week.

And fitness doubts remain over strikers Robbie Keane and Niall Quinn, who were both substituted in the second half on Saturday having had substantial injury lay-offs in the last few weeks of the Premiership season.

Keane, the only striker to have scored for Ireland in the qualifying campaign so far, missed training today with a sore groin, a reaction to his comeback on Saturday from ankle trouble.

But McCarthy dismissed that as ‘‘just a precaution’’ - much as he did about Breen last week.

The manager, who could be tempted to give Blackburn winger Damien Duff a start after he made a considerable impact when replacing Keane against Portugal added: ‘‘Whoever starts I expect them to give their all and last as long as they can.’’

Estonia, with Derby goalkeeper Mart Poom still out injured, will likely field up to eight home-based players from FC Flora Tallinn.

The hosts are well out of the running with seven points from six games, but they have moved above the ranks of international whipping boys in the last few years.