Kerr maintains unbeaten record

Republic of Ireland 2 Australia 1

Clinton Morrison clambered from the bench to seal a fine Republic of Ireland recovery against Australia at Lansdowne Road tonight.

Morrison poked an 80th minute winner past the advancing Mark Schwarzer for his fifth international goal.

John O’Shea had scored his first Irish goal six minutes earlier to cancel out Mark Viduka’s 49th minute opener for the unlucky visitors.

Harry Kewell pulled out of the Australia team to face Ireland at Lansdowne Road tonight one hour before kick-off.

Kewell is believed to have suffered an Achilles injury today and he was flying back to England while his team-mates attempted to add Brian Kerr’s side to their impressive list of recent scalps.

Kewell’s withdrawal might have come as some relief to Stockport goalkeeper Nick Colgan, who was given his first full start.

Kerr, who began the night unbeaten in his first six games in charge, fulfilled his promise to name a strong side with one eye on next month’s crucial European Championship qualifiers against Russia and Switzerland.

Damien Duff partnered Robbie Keane up front with Birmingham’s Clinton Morrison - finally back in an international squad after a succession of injuries - settling for a place as substitute.

West Brom goalkeeper Joe Murphy was set to be given his big international chance as he was preferred to number one Shay Given on the bench.

Kewell’s withdrawal naturally hit Australia boss Frank Farina hard but he still had Kewell’s former Leeds team-mate Mark Viduka lead his strike-force.

Blackburn new boy Brett Emerton was given another chance to continue where he left off from his glowing performance against England in the 3-1 win at Upton Park.

Ireland had the better of a quiet opening with Stephen Carr looking threatening down the right flank.

The Tottenham man found space to latch onto a sixth minute pass by Keane and lobbed over a deep cross towards Duff which Emerton shepherded out of play.

And two minutes later Carr reciprocated with a promising ball to Keane which his club team-mate wasted with a back-heel to nobody.

Carr came closer in the 10th minute when he ran into the right side of the Australian box and shaped to shoot before a timely intervention by Stan Lazaridis.

But after their cagey opening the Australians came to life with a series of swift counter-attacks which underlined their quality.

Colgan’s first taste of action on his full debut sent him scampering bravely from his box to boot clear under pressure from Scott Chipperfield.

And in the 14th minute Parma midfielder Marco Bresciano let fly with a rising left-foot shot from 25 yards which beat Colgan but hammered the crossbar and bounced down and out of danger.

Moments later Bresciano was at the centre of the action again when he charged over the halfway line and found Danny Tiatto to his left.

The Manchester City man made his way into the box and hit a strong low effort which Colgan saved well.

Australian captain Paul Okon earned a ticking-off for a foul on John O’Shea in the 20th minute and while the action was stopped Matt Holland, who appeared to be carrying an injury, was replaced by Colin Healy.

Keane missed a good 25th minute chance from a Carr pass when he completely mis-kicked on the edge of the box and at the other end Emerton shot low and well wide.

Steve Finnan was growing in stature down the right in tandem with Carr and the Liverpool man’s deep cross was heading for Mark Kinsella on the half-hour until it was cut out by the leaping Hayden Foxe.

If anybody doubted the importance of this fixture their apathy was lost not only on the sell-out Lansdowne Road crowd but also Carr and Emerton, who engaged in a sustained spell of pushing on the Irish goal-line in the 33rd minute.

Gary Breen had a lucky escape when he carelessly lost possession to Chipperfield only for his team-mates to hurry back and clear up his mistake.

Then it was the turn of Keane and Okon to exchange angry words after the Australian’s foul on the edge of the centre circle.

Three minutes before the break Lazaridis’ tried his luck from long range but his shot lacked the venom of Bresciano’s and was an easy catch for the settling Colgan.

Ireland had their best chance in the 44th minute when Kinsella’s delightful ball in the box played in Keane whose shot under pressure from Tony Popovic was held well by Mark Schwarzer in the visitors’ goal.

But of much more concern to Ireland was Keane’s reaction as he appeared to fall awkwardly on his ankle and was stretchered off the pitch.

Initial reports suggested Keane had sustained ligament damage to his right ankle but that he was walking on it in the tunnel area and the injury was not particularly serious.

Kerr made just one change at half-time replacing Breen with Andy O’Brien.

Two minutes into the second half Okon made one rash challenge too many, hauling down Duff to earn the first yellow card of the evening.

Finnan looped the resulting free-kick to O’Shea on the edge of the Australian box and the Manchester United youngster headed narrowly over Schwarzer’s crossbar.

But the Australians grabbed the lead in the 49th minute after superb work from Lazaridis down the left.

The Birmingham man played a superb cross which O’Brien could not clear, leaving Viduka with the simplest of conversions from less than six yards.

Ireland responded with a Duff cross from the left and a swinging low shot from Kinsella which was blocked in the box.

Carr brought down Bresciano 30 yards out in the 55th minute but Viduka’s long-range free-kick clattered against the Irish wall.

Then Duff came close for Ireland with a searing left-footed drive which was finger-tipped around his left-hand post by Schwarzer.

Kerr made a double substitution just before the hour, introducing Morrison for Doherty and Ian Harte in place of Carr.

And seconds after taking the field Morrison had his first chance but scooped his right-foot shot high and wide of target.

Viduka was denied his second in the 61st minute when he was played clear but denied by a fine low save from the advancing Colgan, who also grabbed Bresciano’s rebound effort.

Kerr made his fourth change when Kevin Kilbane replaced Finnan in the 69th minute while Vince Grella came on for Okon, who left the field to boos after his tenacious evening’s work.

Morrison won a free-kick on the Irish left and substitute Harte stepped up to send a left-footed curler into the arms of Schwarzer.

But O’Shea got Ireland back on level terms in the 74th minute when he jumped high at the near post to head Harte’s right-wing free-kick past Schwarzer and into the roof of the net.

Three minutes later O’Shea turned provider with an identical cross to Harte’s but Morrison was not so assured with his head and skied the ball inches over Schwarzer’s bar.

The impressive Viduka was replaced by John Aloisi with 12 minutes to go.

But Morrison sealed the Irish comeback 10 minutes from time when he charged onto a long ball from Harte and clipped a shot past the advancing Schwarzer which trickled into the net despite Tony Vidmar’s desperate chase.