New look Ireland beaten by Norway

Rep of Ireland 1 Norway 2:Giovanni Trapattoni has some thinking to do between now and next March after his makeshift side controlled large swathes of their friendly against Norway but ultimately lost to a late goal at the Aviva Stadium tonight.

The manager can reflect on a steady and, at times, adventurous performance from Kevin Kilbane’s understudy Greg Cunningham, while Shane Long proved he is a viable alternative up front with a typically industrious outing that yielded an early goal from the spot.

However, the result is king in Trapattoni’s book and Erik Huseklepp’s 86th minute goal, though scarcely deserved, will rankle with the Italian. The manager is also unlikely to have been convinced by Keith Fahey’s performance in central midfield after the Birmingham City man did the tidying up well but repeatedly misplaced the pass afterwards.

It was fairly evident early on that John Arne Riise’s trademark throw-ins were going to form much of Norway’s attacking threat but for the most part throughout the half they, and the aerial threat of Brede Hangeland, were dealt with reasonably comfortably.

Hangeland looked anything but comfortable when trying to fend off Long in the fifth minute after John O’Shea’s ball in behind the big Fulham defender left him struggling. Long could well have been pulled up for illegally unsettling the defender to get in between him and goal but Icelandic referee Kristinn Jakobsson only chose to whistle after the Norwegian bowled the Reading striker over.

Long grabbed the ball and confidently fired it past Jon Knudsen from 12 yards.

Ireland settled well for a time afterwards and Damien Duff was denied in the 12th minute after Knudsen failed to deal properly with Lawrence’s cross but recovered in time to clear the winger’s follow up off the line.

Still the home side came and Fahey could count himself unlucky when hitting Morten Gamst Pedersen’s clearance on the volley and seeing it whistle wide.

There were half chances for Glenn Whelan and Liam Lawrence too, but Ireland soon relinquished control in midfield where Norway had five men to their four and the visitors got some forward momentum.

They did little with it in truth, until Stephen Kelly handled when tackling striker Thorstein Helstad on the edge of the box. Pedersen neatly despatched the 33rd minute free from 25 yards but Shay Given might put his attempted save down to rustiness.

Long endeavoured to ignite Ireland again with a willing run from the right hand side but Norway twice forced Given into saves, first through Helstad and then Riise, before the break.

There was a debut appearance for Stoke City’s Jon Walters at the restart, while Aiden McGeady replaced the out of sorts Lawrence. Norway brought on Bjorn Helge Riise for Helstad and replaced Knudsen with Espen Bugge Pettersen.

It wasn’t long before the latter was in action, brilliantly saving from a Long strike after McGeady put the striker through on the right hand side.

At the other end, Given was lucky Huseklepp couldn’t lift it over him after a hopeful long ball caught the defence napping.

It all served to open the game up a it as the rain poured down and Long’s tenacity in dispossessing Kjetil Waehler on the edge of box was rewarded, but the striker’s shot was too near Pettersen. It was clear, however, that both Hangeland and Waehler would ensure he was kept busy, for the centre backs were dangerously casual at times.

McGeady twice went close from similar angles on the right, his first was dragged across the face of goal and Walters, like Waehler before him, got the second where it hurts as he looked to help it in.

In a move that saw Kelly switch to the heart of the defence, Kevin Foley was rewarded for his dedication to the cause with a rare cap when replacing O’Dea.

The substitutions had only served to disjoint both teams, at this stage, and save for some speculative efforts there was little to shout about for either side until Pedersen’s final ball after a sweeping move found Huseklepp at the back post to seal the win.

Rep of Ireland:Given; Kelly, O'Shea, O'Dea (Foley 67), Cunningham; Lawrence (McGeady 45), Fahey, Whelan, Duff (Hunt 74); Doyle (Walters 45), Long.

Norway:Knudsen (Pettersen 45); Hoglin, Waehler, Hangeland, JA Riise; Hauger, Pedersen, Grindheim (Jenssen 55), Helstad (BH Riise 45), Huseklepp (Moldskred 90); Moen (Haestad 78)

Referee:Kristinn Jakobsson (Iceland)