Kilbane at heart of superb team effort

Group Four/France - 0 Republic of Ireland - 0: The Irish fans had a distracted look about them on Saturday as they traipsed around Paris in the rain. Most were intent on taking in a few famous sights before heading to St Denis, but if some were too preoccupied to fully appreciate the city's many cultural attractions, the show they were treated to up at the Stade de France was still more than good enough to ensure they came home happy from a weekend that, for most, could be described as wet in more ways than one.

Close to a third of the 78,863 of those who saw this game had travelled to support Brian Kerr's side, and there was no question at the end that it was they who were the happier of the two sets of supporters as the teams made their way towards the dressing-rooms and the crowd began to stream out into the night.

The pre-match build-up had provided much to suggest that this would not be a great French performance, but what was far less sure was whether, after a couple of years without a genuinely impressive display away from home, the Irish could rise to the occasion and seize the opportunity that the home side's considerable misfortune of late presented.

Within a few minutes of the start the doubts were gone. Ireland began the game as well as they have any under Kerr, and over the 90 minutes his players did enough not only to comfortably earn the point they took from the match but also to suggest that they can defy both the odds and the world rankings to win a qualification group that is now, for all the twists and turns that may lie ahead, effectively theirs for the taking.

Just about everything went well for Kerr, who was rewarded for his decision to play Steve Finnan on the right side of midfield and to restore John O'Shea to left back.

On a night that will be remembered for an array of towering individual performances, however, it was Kevin Kilbane in the centre of midfield whose outstanding display did most to repay the faith shown by the Ireland manager.

While his midfield partner, Roy Keane, coolly patrolled the area in front of the team's central defence, the Everton player personified all that was good about the visiting side's performance as he worked relentlessly to win, retain and make the best possible use of the ball.

An hour after the match finished he was still perspiring profusely in the mixed zone as he chatted to journalists, and it is no wonder, for he simply never let up.

On and off the ball, it seemed, he ran from beginning to end, closing down space when the French were moving forward, racing into it when they were in retreat.

It was a contribution that helped give his side a distinct edge in the middle of the field, where Olivier Dacourt failed in his attempt to boss his opponents into submission and the debutant, Rio Antonio Mavuba, looked both nervous and, as he repeatedly surrendered possession while under pressure from Kilbane, slightly out of his depth.

Not all the individual battles were quite so one-sided. William Gallas, for instance, was clearly not prepared to settle for limiting the attacking influence of his Chelsea team-mate Damien Duff and the full-back's willingness to press forward at every opportunity provided a great deal of the home side's attacking impetus.

Duff, however, defended with considerable zeal, while O'Shea also had a good night.

On the other flank, Finnan and Steven Carr combined well to frustrate Robert Pires and Thierry Henry, who between them threatened to open up the Irish defence from the 12th minute when the former came close to putting the latter clear.

It didn't actually happen, though, until 12 minutes from the end, and on that occasion, after the Arsenal striker had stolen a yard on Kenny Cunningham, Shay Given was on hand to make a fine save.

It wasn't his best of the night. That had come in the first half, when he had thrown himself to his right in order to push a fiercely struck Pires shot around the post.

In between, there was a lot more to admire from the Donegalman, whose command of his area and speed off his line, combined with strong showings by his central defenders, made it a lean night for the French strikers.

Given was good, but Fabien Barthez was probably even better. The French skipper looked equally confident under high balls, which proved crucial because the Irish won a steady stream of frees in promising positions as well as seven corner kicks - one more than their hosts.

But the Marseille goalkeeper can count himself lucky that an elbow into Andy O'Brien as one second-half corner was floated in wasn't spotted by the referee, although he may still face a suspension when the video footage is reviewed.

His performance, however, was generally inspired, and his save from Duff 62 minutes in, when he recovered with lightning speed from making an initial clearance to deflect the winger's shot wide, kept the French level at a point when their grip on things was threatened.

Eight minutes later, however, even he was helpless when O'Shea narrowly missed the target from close range after Alou Diarra had failed to cut out Andy Reid's angled free.

It was the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock, despite the efforts of Robbie Keane and Reid, the latter on for the impressive Clinton Morrison, who limped off five minutes before the break.

Despite the lack of an aerial threat, both displayed an admirable willingness to chase everything that came their way, and they might have had more to show for their efforts but for equally strong displays from Gael Givet and, in particular, Sebastien Squillaci.

At the other end, Henry had his moments, but none was quite special enough to shake off the close attention of Finnan and Kenny Cunningham, who between them assumed the lion's share of the responsibility for looking after the striker. Djibril Cisse, meanwhile, was largely anonymous thanks to the efforts of Andy O'Brien, and, when required, O'Shea.

All told, it was as confident a display as any visiting side could hope for in such a setting. A winning goal might have flattered the Irish, but their point could scarcely have been more merited.

FRANCE: Barthez; Gallas, Squillaci, Givet, Silvestre; Wiltord, Mavuba, Dacourt, Pires; Cisse, Henry. Subs: Diarra for Dacourt (64 mins), Govou for Cisse (82 mins).

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Given (Newcastle United); Carr (Newcastle United), O'Brien (Newcastle United), Cunningham (Birmingham City), O'Shea (Manchester United); Finnan (Liverpool), Keane (Manchester United), Kilbane (Everton), Duff (Chelsea); Morrison (Birmingham City), Keane (Tottenham Hotspur). Sub: Reid (Nottingham Forest) for Morrison (40 mins).

Referee: A Dauden Ibanez (Spain).