New blood ready to answer call

Gary Doherty's eventful finish to the season held another surprise yesterday when he was summoned to join Ireland's depleted squad for this evening's novel meeting with Greece at Lansdowne Road.

Doherty, an original choice in the under-21 squad, was busy finalising his move from Luton to Tottenham when the word came through that his emerging talent was urgently needed in Dublin, for what was once regarded as an important segment of Mick McCarthy's World Cup preparations.

That trade mark has since been stripped from the game but for Doherty, a youngster who bids fair to enhance an Irish tradition of big men capable of playing either at the centre of the defence or attack, it's still a significant promotion.

With nine withdrawals from his original squad of 22, and less than 48 hours to find replacements, expediency was the name of the exercise when McCarthy set out late on Monday evening to make up the numbers.

In the end, he could feel pleased with the response for, like Doherty, Paul Butler, Alan Mahon, Alan Maybury and Barry Quinn, called up from the under-21 squad, are all capable of performing useful roles if the need arises.

Initially, however, he is likely to go with 11 of the survivors from the original squad and trust that, in spite of the exceptionally demanding circumstances, his improvised squad can come up with a win.

If they do, it will qualify comfortably as one of their better achievements in non-competitive fixtures.

When somebody had the temerity to inquire of McCarthy what he knew of the Greeks, he replied, "only marginally less than I do of my own squad". And, it wasn't without a vestige of truth.

Later, he would deal scathingly with suggestions that Roy Keane's damaged hamstring was less than serious and that his defection from the game against Greece presaged more problems in the making for the end of season tour of America.

"Roy is upset with suggestions that his injury is a convenient one and that, in some way, it is preparing the way for his withdrawal from our games at the end of the season," he said.

"The injury is real enough and I believe that, fitness permitting, he will be joining the American tour.

"After all, he's said so himself and given his commitment to the team, I don't see why people should doubt him."

McCarthy would dearly love to be able to count on the Manchester United player's partnership with Mark Kinsella in the pivotal roles in midfield, to give his team extra authority.

Its not the ideal environment for players like Richard Dunne and Steve Finnan to make their first international appearances and the manager was quick to take the point when he spoke of the problems of having to make so many changes.

"Frankly, I expected to have to make a couple of changes but I never dreamt that there would be many withdrawals on practically the eve of the game," he said.

"I remember going for the first time with an Ireland team to Japan in 1985 when others didn't want to know. I saw it as an opportunity and I didn't do too badly out of it when winding up with 57 caps.

"That's the kind of dream some of the younger ones will now have. They all want to play - they all see it as their chance of making a point."

One of those who fits that description is Richard Dunne, a young man of 20 who, astonishingly, first surfaced in the squad three years ago.

Now wiser in the ways of his chosen trade, he's ready to stake his claims to a place in the team for other, more important assignments.

Despite a couple of excellent European championship performances by Gary Breen, there is a perceived problem in the centre of defence. And Dunne, who has made the majority of his seventy-odd first team appearances for Everton as a right back, is seen as one of those capable of solving it.

It is a measure of the urgency with which McCarthy is pursuing his options in the position that he's now prepared to shunt Kenny Cunningham to right back to facilitate Dunne's inclusion in a back four formation, likely to be completed by Steve Staunton.

With Mark Kennedy and Jason McAteer both unavailable, the way would appear to be open for Finnan to make his play for a regular place on the right side of midfield. He is likely to be given his chance alongside Kinsella, Rory Delap and Kevin Kilbane in the middle line.

The probable front line partnership of Robbie Keane and David Connolly lacks physical presence but, if McCarthy so chooses, he can revert to a more familiar game plan by calling Doherty off the bench at some stage of the game.

If Greece have little pretence to a place in football's more fertile pastures, it is worth noting that currently, they rate higher than Ireland in FIFA's international rankings.

Nikolaos Dabizas of Newcastle United, Vassilor Tsartas, a skilful midfielder with Seville and the Inter Milan defender, Grigoris Georgatos, are the most notable exceptions to Greece's policy of rewarding home based talent.

And given the chance, the certainty is that players like Georgios Georgiadis and Nikolaos Liberopoulos will make the home team work for anything they may get out of the game.