Keane grabs late leveller to keep Ireland in the hunt
Italy 1 Republic of Ireland 1
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Your support makes all the difference.Italy had taken the lead through Vincenzo Iaquinta's 11th-minute strike but the world champions were a man short for 87 minutes following Giampaolo Pazzini's dismissal. "It's not right in any way," the Italy coach Marcello Lippi fumed after the game.
Within three minutes of the kick-off Pazzini caught John O'Shea with a flailing arm which left the defender bloodied. Wolfgang Stark showed a straight red card, to the fury of the home fans as O'Shea's team-mates frantically called the medical staff on to the pitch. He was able to continue as the Italians attempted to reshuffle with Iaquinta playing alone up front. It was the Juventus striker who put the 10 men in front after defender Fabio Grosso ran on to Andrea Pirlo's exquisite pass and crossed through Paul McShane's legs for the 29-year-old to score from close range.
With time running down, Italy became increasingly edgy and Ireland got their reward when Caleb Folan's pursuit of Shay Given's clearance caused problems in the box and the ball broke to Keane, who stabbed it home to snatch a precious point.
Italy (4-4-2): Buffon (Juventus); Zambrotta (Milan), Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Chiellini (Juventus), Grosso (Milan); Brighi (Roma), De Rossi (Roma), Pirlo (Milan), Pepe (Udinese); Pazzini (Sampdoria), Iaquinta (Juventus). Substitutes used: Palombo (Sampdoria) for Pirlo, 46; Quagliarella (Udinese) for Iaquinta, 88.
Republic of Ireland (4-4-2): Given (Man City); McShane (Hull), Dunne (Man City), O'Shea (Man Utd), Kilbane (Hull); Keogh (Wolves), Whelan (Stoke), Andrews (Blackburn), Stephen Hunt (Reading); Doyle (Reading), Keane (Tottenham). Substitutes used: Folan (Hull) for Keogh, 27min; Gibson (Man Utd) for Andrews, 60; Noel Hunt (Reading) for Doyle, 63.
Referee: W Stark (Germany).
*Bolivia ended Argentina's 100 percent record under Diego Maradona in style by thrashing them 6-1 at high altitude in a World Cup qualifier last night. Maradona's side ,which included Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi, ended the match in La Paz with 10 men after Angel di Maria was sent off.
Group Eight
Republic of Ireland results: Georgia 1 Ireland 1; Montenegro 0 Ireland 0; Ireland 1 Cyprus 0; Ireland 2 Georgia 1; Ireland 1 Bulgaria 1, Italy 1 Ireland 1; Bulgaria 2 Cyprus 0; Georgia 0 Montenegro 0.
Remaining fixtures: 6 June Bulgaria v Republic of Ireland. 5 Sept Cyprus v Republic of Ireland. 10 Oct Republic of Ireland v Italy. 14 Oct Republic of Ireland v Montenegro.
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