Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton can enjoy his summer holidays
happy in the knowledge his job is safe for the rest of the European Championship
qualifying campaign.
Reading striker Kevin Doyle was the hero on this occasion with a 12th-minute
winner that keeps Ireland in the hunt for a top-two finish in Group D,
and with it a place in next year's finals.
The win was the Republic's fourth successive group victory, a feat achieved
on only three previous occasions in their history when they qualified
for the 1990, 1994 and 2002 World Cup finals.
It was also a retort to Staunton's critics, as the barbs that followed
Saturday's victory over Wales had done little to foster relations between
the 38-year-old and the media.
Even the fans had made their feelings known by jeering the players prior
to Dublin hero Bernard Dunne's latest successful defence of his European
super-bantamweight title on Sunday.
The briefest of pitchside briefings followed on Monday - lasting a mere
32 seconds - and then there was the united stance adopted at yesterday's
pre-match press conference.
Staunton was flanked by four of his most-senior players in Shay Given,
Richard Dunne, Damien Duff and Kevin Kilbane.
This was a time for Staunton's players to deliver because even Duff conceded
it was not the manager's fault if they were unable to pass the ball 10
yards as they so often failed to do against the Welsh.
At least Staunton adopted a more attacking line-up by deploying two natural
wingers on the flanks in Duff and Celtic's young star Aiden McGeady, with
Stephen Ireland in behind Doyle.
In light of such positivity, it was no surprise there was more action
in the opening 15 minutes of this game than the entire dire 90 versus
Wales.
The Slovaks, desperate for victory themselves under new coach Jan Kocian
following heavy home defeats last year to Germany and the Czech Republic,
threatened in the opening minutes following a delayed start due to traffic
congestion around the ground.
Given, captaining the side in the absence of the suspended Robbie Keane
and on his 80th cap to equal the Republic goalkeeping record of Packie
Bonner, was forced to push an early Robert Vittek shot beyond the post.
It was a decisive statement of intent from Given as the ball was heading
wide in any case, and it proved calming for those in front of him.
What was ultimately required was an early goal to help settle the nerves,
and it duly arrived in the 12th minute following a foul on Lee Carsley
from former Blackburn defender Vratislav Gresko.
Duff had found himself caged on the left flank in the opening exchanges
by two markers every time he received the ball.
But free to curl a free-kick into the near post, he picked out Doyle who
rose above Martin Skrtel to plant a downward header inside the left-hand
post of Kamil Contofalsky.
Inevitable pressure followed from the Slovaks, resulting in Marek Sapara
glancing a header nowhere from an unmarked position inside the area when
he should have tested Given.
The Newcastle number one then showed his agility with a one-handed stop
in diving to his right, turning aside a 25-yard drive from Vittek in the
24th minute.
What then followed for the remainder of the half was an open, end-to-end
game dominated by two strong defences as opportunities were in short supply.
Doyle, though, should undoubtedly have done better in a three-on-two break
just after the half hour, electing to tamely shoot when a frustrated Duff
was unmarked on the overlap.
But what followed after the interval was a case of deja vu as witnessed
against Wales as Ireland started brightly enough.
However, they began to lose possession in key areas, again giving the
ball away too cheaply and inviting the Slovaks to dictate the game.
Ireland, though, cannot be faulted defensively, and if there was one moment
that epitomised their strength in that area, it came on the hour.
An incisive through ball from Igor Zofcak found Martin Jakubko on the
edge of the six-yard box, only for Paul McShane to produce a crunching
tackle as the Slovak midfielder was poised to shoot.
Again it took the introduction of Stephen Hunt to revive Ireland in the
70th minute, followed soon after by Royals team-mate Shane Long.
The latter should have wrapped up victory just before the 80th minute
courtesy of two piercing deliveries provided by Hunt.
The first, from a corner, saw Gresko clear a header off the line from
Long, while the second a minute later saw him head wide in an unmarked
position eight yards out.
There was one late Given block to deny sub Filip Holosko before the proverbial
roof was lifted off Croke Park when the whistle sounded on a night to
remember for Staunton.
Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton praised his side for their
high work-rate after a 1-0 win over Slovakia eased some of the pressure
on him.
Staunton has not enjoyed an easy start to life as an international coach
but a second successive single-goal victory - this time thanks to a first-half
effort from Kevin Doyle - leaves the Irish in third place in Group D with
a chance of making the Euro 2008 finals.
The former Liverpool and Aston Villa defender said: 'It was important
to keep ourselves in the hunt and give ourselves a chance.
'We knew the Czech Republic had won their game earlier in the day and
it was vital for us to hang on to their tails and we were excellent in
the first half.
'You can't dominate for 90 minutes and they came back in the second half.
'I thought the back five were excellent and the whole 11 worked their
socks.'
,
March 28, 2007.
Russian ladies dream about happy marriage.
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