Keane is lionised

Roy Keane's return to form is being hailed as a catalyst as the Republic of Ireland prepare for their next European championship assignment, in Yugoslavia on October 10th, in a new climate of hope.

It follows Saturday's 2-0 win over Croatia, the third-placed team in the World Cup finals in France, and the pre-championship favourites to top Group 8 in the European preliminaries.

In his biggest test since returning from a career-threatening knee injury, Keane celebrated the anniversary of his last Ireland goal in Iceland, with the second score which demoralised the Croatians. Together with Denis Irwin, whose perfectly struck penalty established the home team in the lead after only four minutes, Keane returned home immediately after the game in a private plane provided by Manchester United, leaving others to lionise his performance.

"It was a world-class performance by a world-class player and it lifted everybody else in our team," said Mick McCarthy.

"There may have been some who doubted Roy's ability to get back to where he was before his injury. This was the day, he chose to deliver his answer - and wasn't it conclusive.

"Even before he went out of the team, he was playing like a man enjoying himself. Now he took up where he left off and I was delighted for him."

In a tense game in which two Croatians, Mario Stanic and Krunoslav Jurcic, were sent off in separate incidents involving Steve Staunton in the last 20 minutes, Keane's composure was an added bonus for the Ireland manager.

Sadly, there was less joy for Keith O'Neill, the young Norwich player whose return to the national team after a protracted absence lasted just five minutes.

O'Neill was carried off after emerging from a tackle holding his leg but fortunately, the damage is not a recurrence of the ankle injury which fragmented his career last season.

As yet, it is still not clear if he will be available for selection for the game in Yugoslavia.