Absence of star man Haaland robs friendly of much of its lustre

GETTING THE EYE IN: Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, right, and goalkeeping coach Dean Kiely during a Republic of Ireland training session. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

After years of devoting wasted time to discussing absent Ireland players, it’s impossible to gloss over the missing star from Norway’s team.

This was a fixture centred on Erling Haaland’s participation, supplying sustenance to an Irish public feeling the chill of dipping temperatures and rising costs.