Irish not taking Saudis lightly

Charlton goalkeeper Dean Kiely and his Republic of Ireland team-mates have been filled with renewed optimism following the results in the second round of matches in World Cup Group E.

Robbie Keane’s last-gasp equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Germany and Cameroon’s single goal win over Saudi Arabia have enhanced Mick McCarthy’s team’s hopes of qualifying for the second round.

But they will not take Saudi Arabia for granted ahead of Tuesday’s final first round game in Yokohama.

‘‘From the final score yesterday, it would appear the Saudis have sorted themselves out and will not be the walkover that we witnessed in their opening game against the Germans,’’ Kiely told the website eWorldSports.co.uk.

Kiely and his team-mates spent yesterday at Tokyo’s Disney World but even being able to be with their families for the day did not prove that much of a respite.

‘‘It’s the first opportunity we’ve had to spend some quality time with our families or loved ones and it’s been nice to put the football, albeit temporarily, to the back of our minds.

‘‘Yet the World Cup is never far away and the news filtering through that Cameroon had only beaten Saudi Arabia by a single goal was another welcome boost.

‘‘We now go into our final group game in Yokohama next Tuesday full of confidence and with the belief that we can progress to the second round.

‘‘I’ve heard rumours that we only need to win by two clear goals to go through, but we won’t be approaching the game worrying about what’s going on in Shizuoka.

‘‘For now, we are still basking in the glory of our draw against Germany.

‘‘A point was the least we deserved - from chances created and possession enjoyed, we more than matched our opponents and were very unlucky when Robbie Keane and Damien Duff went close earlier in the match.

‘‘Although our midfielders caught the eye in our opening game, I thought the two lads up front were superb this time, linking so well throughout the game and causing the Germans no end of problems.’’

But Kiely had to admit that Sunderland’s veteran striker Niall Quinn, who came on as a second-half substitute, had made a real difference.

‘‘It was that wily old campaigner Niall Quinn who proved his worth to the squad. He says he struggles to last a full 90 minutes these days, but what an asset to have on the bench. He caused many problems with his aerial threat and it was his last-gasp flick-on that led to Robbie’s equaliser.

‘‘I’d already resigned myself to defeat, so it was hardly surprising when I joined the rest of the bench by running down to the corner flag to celebrate the goal.

‘‘In true Irish tradition, the celebrations continued long into the night.’’