Ireland 0, Germany 1 - half time report

Ireland 0, Germany 1 (half time)

Ireland trail Germany at the interval in their Group E World Cup showdown as Saudi hat trick hero Miroslav Klose headed his side in front after 19 minutes.

Following Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Cameroon, Ireland needed a result against a confident German side with confidence sky-high following their 8-0 humiliation of Saudi Arabia.

Republic boss Mick McCarthy made just one change to the side which started against Cameroon, with Steve Finnan in at right-back, allowing Gary Kelly to push up to right wing in the absence of Jason McAteer due to his recurring knee injury.

A jinking Damien Duff run to the edge of the area after Hamann had lost the ball almost midway inside his own half sparked the first spell of pressure for the Irish in the third minute.

The ball eventually ran wide to Kevin Kilbane for a pacy cross which was whipped in for the head of Robbie Keane, only for Carsten Ramelow to produce a clearance as far as Kelly for a ball back into the danger zone where it was eventually hacked away.

Neither side were then able to gain a firm foothold on the opening stages, which primarily contained more mistakes than chances.

The first real opportunity fell Germany’s way in the 12th minute, with Torsten Frings - who has sealed a move to Bundelsiga champions Borussia Dortmund this week - curling in a right-wing cross.

The 6’5’’ figure of Bayern Munich striker Carsten Jancker was on the end of it, but his glancing header was straight at goalkeeper Shay Given.

McCarthy was obviously relying on the pace of Duff and Keane causing the Germany defence problems, and it was the former who scampered his way down the right two minutes later before delivering a low cross which skipper Oliver Kahn cut out.

Miroslav Klose then should have been booked soon after for attempting to win a penalty as he threw himself theatrically to the ground while under challenge from Staunton.

Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen, who famously sent off David Beckham in England’s World Cup second-round defeat to Argentina four years ago, failed to spot the dive.

But Klose was jumping with delight in the 18th minute as he headed home his fourth goal in two World Cup games, and his 12th in 14 matches for Germany.

Michael Ballack’s cross found Klose timing his run to perfection inside Ian Harte for a downward header from 10 yards which Given had little chance of stopping.

Matt Holland, who grabbed Ireland’s equaliser against Cameroon, almost conjured up the same feat against the Germans with a mirror-image of his goal in Niigata.

From just outside the area Holland let fly with a skidding right-foot shot in the 25th minute, but instead of the ball nestling inside Kahn’s net, it passed within inches of the right-hand post.

A 27th-minute through-ball which fortuitously brought an offside flag for the Irish led to Staunton and Gary Breen exchanging serious words with one another, with the latter doing a lot of finger pointing.

Germany almost doubled their lead 12 minutes later as Dietmar Hamann’s shot was blocked by Given but the flag had already been raised for offside against Carsten Jancker.

Robbie Keane almost brought the sides level on the stroke of half time as he got free in the box and attempted an overhead kick from a cross from the right but his shot spun off foot and across the six-yard box.