Shelbourne ... 0 Manchester United ... 5 The gauntlet of hate never quite materialised. The baying, vengeful mob failed to turn up. The booing and barracking barely rose above a whisper. Those who'd travelled from across the water to witness Roy Keane getting a piece of the Irish public's mind almost seemed disappointed, the story just wasn't panning out.
They hadn't, it seems, banked on at least 90 per cent of the tickets for Saturday's match against Shelbourne being bought up by Manchester United supporters of an Irish persuasion. And they gave Keane a reception that would hardly have been lustier if he'd turned up at the Phoenix Park with the World Cup in his hands.
With the roads leading to Tolka Park sealed off four hours before the game the heavy security presence anticipated Keane being welcomed just as Rio Ferdinand might be if he returns to Elland Road in a red shirt this season.
The RTÉ reporter outside the ground struggled to find anyone who reviled, rather than revered, the United captain. Finally, some success: "I've come to boo him," said one Shelbourne supporter, "he let his country down." His view might have been representative of a significant proportion of the population, but not the 11,000 who filled Tolka Park.
Outside the ground the T-shirt sellers could hardly cope with the demand . The trusty "Two Cork Legends Shot In The Back", featuring pictures of Michael Collins and Keane, was particularly popular, as was the creation that carried in full Keane's alleged words to Mick McCarthy in that infamous Saipan meeting.
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, sported neither T-shirt (true, the Michael Collins one would have been exceptionally inappropriate for the leader of Fianna Fáil) when he arrived but he was there in time to join in the rapturous ovation that greeted Keane when he led his team on to the pitch. From then until his departure, 70 minutes in to the game, his every touch was cheered, his name consistently ringing around the ground.
If Juan Sebastian Veron, Mikael Silvestre and Diego Forlan assumed the warmth of the reception would make their captain relax for the afternoon they were mistaken. All three were on the receiving end of furious rollickings which must have made them wonder what he'd be like in a Champions League final. When Veron's free-kick from the edge of the box came closer to ending up in the Tolka than the back of the net he was given a look so withering that he appeared to shiver.
Keane was part-creator of the first goal, after 17 minutes, when his one-two with Phil Neville in the box put the right-back in to cross for Ryan Giggs, whose mis-hit shot was tapped home by Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Dutch striker capitalised on the Shelbourne defence's failure to clear Forlan's corner to make it 2-0 within three minutes and 60 seconds later Forlan scored his first goal for United in 19 appearances.
Dwight Yorke, who hasn't even been given a squad number for the new season, made a rare appearance in the second half, scoring after 59 minutes, and van Nistelrooy completed his hat-trick, and the day's scoring, three minutes later, making room for his shot with a superb drag-back.
Shelbourne, assisted by a number of guest players, including Bray Wanderers trio Jason Byrne, Thomas Morgan and Colm Tresson, had only arrived back from Malta, where they played the first leg of their Champions League qualifier last Wednesday, on Friday evening and looked suitably jaded by the second half.
Richie Baker, though, had reason to be pleased with his performance, exposing Silvestre's defensive frailties on several occasions down the right wing, as had both goalkeepers, Steve Williams and Chris Bennion, the latter twice saving smartly from Keane's replacement, Michael Stewart. Substitute Wes Houlihan, too, made an impression after coming on for the second half, out-scrapping Keane for the ball on the left touchline at one stage. Keane smiled, Houlihan winked - 1-0 to the Shels' man.
In the absence of Alex Ferguson, whose pursuit of Ferdinand kept him at home, his new assistant manager, Carlos Queiroz, spoke briefly after the game. "The reception Roy Keane got was fantastic, but we expected it. He is our inspiration and our captain. It was a good run-out for the team ahead of the season as we try and regain the Premiership title," he said.
SHELBOURNE: Williams (Bennion, 45), Heary, Crawley (Coughlan, 60), McCarthy (Corbally, 45), Prenderville (Ross, 72), Gannon (Tresson, 45), Cahill (Houlihan, 45), S Byrne (Morgan, 60), Roberts (J Byrne, 45), Geoghegan, R Baker (Molloy, 45).
MANCHESTER UNITED: Carroll (Williams, 75), Neville (Roche, 84), Blanc, O'Shea, Silvestre (Tierney, 84), Forlan, Veron, Keane (Stewart, 68), Giggs (Djordjic, 72), Solskjaer (Yorke, 45), van Nistelrooy (Solskjaer, 72).
Referee: A Kelly (Cork).
