State of Play: Macedonia 0 Ireland 2

State of Play: Macedonia 0 Ireland 2

MANY people predicted Ireland would only be good enough to claim a point in Skopje last night. Missing some key players, with a makeshift defence and a lack of creativity in midfield, it was a game with many pitfalls to scupper our qualification bid. Instead, despite shortcomings in our ability to dictate the game and maintain possession, the Irish came away with a massive result. Robbie Keane made history while ensuring the Republic are in with a shot of making some more.

KEANO, There’s only one Keano

Bobby who? Robbie’s the new ‘Our kid’.

Return of the Mac; Long Night Awaits

THREE wins, three clean sheets and outright victory in the Nations Cup was a welcome return for Giovanni Trapatonni’s Ireland. A continuation of that form is vital in Macedonia this weekend but has the team shown enough to suggest they can claim three points in Skopje, a place with unhappy memories for the Irish?

Passage of Play: Marco Tardelli

“It is fair to say that Simon Cox is ahead of Shane Long at this moment in time.”

Video: Destiny in Our Eoin Hands

Preview: I’m Having Ya Macedonia

An infamous night in Skopje. Not so much a tangerine dream as an orange nightmare. In 1997 Mick McCarthy’s hopes of emulating Jack Charlton by leading the Republic to a World Cup finals disintegrated when an ageing Irish side […]

State of Play: Will Trap take a Long shot on Shane?

GIOVANNI Trapattoni is nothing if not predictable. That may sound slightly caustic, but since taking charge of the Boys in Green, the Republic of Ireland manager has rarely been known for throwing caution to the wind.

He was back to his stable best on Monday, when announcing his squad for the two games against Macedonia and Uruguay. Many of the usual suspects were there – Dunne, Duff, Kilbane, etc. However, perhaps Il Trap will surprise us all and shake things up a little.

Deliver Coleman and Stoke the Fires of Our Euro Ambitions

IT MAY appear to be an innocuous squad announcement for a meaningless friendly, but this afternoon could turn out to be a day of reckoning for the Republic of Ireland’s bid to qualify for their first major tournament in ten years.