Cox looking forward to Russia test

Simon Cox is relishing the biggest game of his life as the Republic of Ireland prepare for their showdown with Russia in Moscow.

The 23-year-old West Brom striker is in line to win his seventh senior cap at the Luzhniki Stadium tomorrow evening, with the Republic attempting to repair the damage of Friday night’s costly 0-0 Euro 2012 qualifier draw with Slovakia.

Cox, who like skipper Robbie Keane passed up a late chance to win a tight Group B game, could find himself involved with Shane Long having been sent home with a calf strain and Kevin Doyle searching for full match fitness following a lengthy lay-off with a knee injury.

Asked if the clash on the infamous plastic pitch at the Luzhniki would be the biggest of his career to date, he said: “It would be up there, yes.

“The Macedonia game was big for me I had never played a qualifier before in my life, and then there are things like your Premier League debut.

“But these are big games for me and I hope to just take them in my stride and see what happens at the end of it.”

Cox dragged an 84th-minute shot wide of the post as the Republic belatedly put Slovakia under sustained pressure, but skipper Keane had earlier mistimed a header from the sort of chance he has been burying throughout his senior international career.

However, he has no doubts that Keane will bounce back.

Cox said: “Robbie is just a quality player who everybody, especially centre-forwards like myself, can learn a whole lot from.

“He’s too good a player not to score goals. He’s always in the box, he’s always a threat around the box and he’s never afraid to shoot, which is a good quality in a striker.”

Giovanni Trapattoni and his players were quick to shake off the disappointment of Friday night’s stalemate and headed for Moscow confident of success, although acutely aware of the severity of the task ahead.

Cox said: “Without a doubt, they are a good team – [Andrey] Arshavin is a quality player – and we are going to have to be at our best to win.

“But we don’t fear them and we are going to go out there and put our best in, and hopefully it will be good on the day.

“If we go over there and we put a good performance in and we get a positive result, then that’s a good night’s football for us.

“If we get a positive result out in Russia, Russia have still got to play Slovakia, so somebody in that game has to drop points – and it would be best for us if they both dropped points.”