Lawrence's strike just enough

Republic of Ireland 1 South Africa 0:If the World Cup hosts were searching for an accurate indicator as to what sort of talent will be turning up on their shores next year, they will be sorely disappointed after their visit to Thomond Park. Not only did they come up against a side nowhere near the level expected on the biggest stage, but they lost to them as well.

It was their sixth straight defeat in row and - after they failed to register a shot on target - probably their most demoralising.

Giovanni Trapattoni’s new-look side, with eight different starters from the team that beat Cyprus 2-1 at the weekend, looked miles behind in terms of pace and poise in the first half, but delivered a far more impressive performance after the break to successfully defend a scarcely deserved 1-0 lead, pilfered by Liam Lawrence in the 37th minute.

Lawrence took advantage of his first start in an Ireland shirt by striking a brilliant free-kick at the second attempt after Caleb Folan was fouled 25 yards from goal.

Until then, the vast majority of the game had been played in front of the Ireland back four, with Everton’s Steven Pienaar the commander in chief, and the hosts’ midfield pairing of Darron Gibson and Keith Andrews largely bypassed.

However, it was soon obvious that, in strikers Katlego Mphela and Bernard Parker, the visitors had very little to aim at or depend on up front and despite creating the vast majority of chances and playing, at times, much better football than their hosts they walked away from Limerick with nothing.

The lack of target up front, it must be said, was also due to the home side’s insistence on defending deep and offering little or no space to themselves or their opponents. All too regularly the central pairing of Seán St Ledger and Paul McShane settled for aimless hacks out of danger, where a gaping hole between the frontline and midfield meant the ball was back at South African feet almost instantaneously.

Their full-backs were of little help either, with Stephen Kelly particularly wasteful on the right, though he twice did well when covering the central pair, by shunting Mphela off the ball to allow Keiren Westwood to gather and getting a touch on midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi’s effort.

Defender Morgan Gould had skied a first-minute effort high over the bar but made a more telling contribution when clearing out Folan at the other end, clashing heads with the Hull City striker and forcing him off to receive four stitches.

The numerical advantage prompted Pienaar into action and he almost played Mphela in on several occasions - with McShane and St Ledger repeatedly at full stretch.

Folan won a free on his return and, after Pienaar was booked for blocking Lawrence's first effort, the Stoke man sent the ball arcing into the top corner.

The homeside improved after the break, with Folan and captain Doyle pushing their markers ever deeper and Gibson, Andrews, Lawrence and Andy Keogh keeping the pressure on.

Gibson kept Fernandez on his toes with a 25-yard drive which sailed just wide of the far post before Leon Best, who came on as a 59th-minute replacement for Doyle, forced the keeper into a solid block within two minutes, before back-heeling to Lawrence whose follow-up was deflected agonisingly wide.

A spate of substitutions sent the game into something of a lull as both sides attempted to re-adjust, but it took a vital close-range block from Darren O'Dea to deny Pienaar an equaliser.

Best looked lively and threatened in the final minutes as the game was stretched but the crowd of 11,300 only got to see Lawrence’s goal.

If that’s all it takes against Italy in October the manager will be more than happy.