Ireland - 48 Australia - 40: Ireland bid late for Saturday's first Test of the Coca-Cola International Rules series in a packed Pearse Stadium on Saturday night. The move resulted in a remarkable 17-point, final-quarter turnaround to leave the home side flatteringly poised with an eight-point cushion going into next weekend's second Test at Croke Park.

All told, there was relief at the outcome after a match that never degenerated into the cartoon extremes of last year's second-Test violence and which demonstrated Ireland's renewed ability to compete. In there, somewhere, however, was a poor first half, featuring little quality play. It may be that the anxiety over foul play inhibited the Australians but they had the winning of the match after a strong second-half recovery only to blow the lot in an exhilarating 18-1 turnaround in the closing 10 minutes.

The predominant sense afterwards was of mild Australian shock at how catastrophically they had lost the initiative. It may or may not have been significant this year the length of a Test has been cut from 80 minutes to 72 but the match couldn't have ended at a better time for Ireland, seconds after home boy Joe Bergin had driven through for a last-minute goal to leave Ireland eight ahead and giving the visitors no opportunity to respond.

Eight points was a gross distortion of what had been an even enough match but extraordinarily, with less than 10 minutes to go any exaggeration on the scoreboard looked certain to benefit Australia. Nine points behind, Ireland looked out on their feet. In the end it was the Australians who made the big mistakes, missing some good scoring chances, failing in their own terms "to ice the clock" and most unusually, getting turned over in possession and conceding points.

AFL coach Kevin Sheedy felt Ireland's key improvement from the 2005 disaster had been "experience", but there was more to it than that. Australia weren't able to reproduce the high-tempo, high-yield game that had swept them to 100 points in last year's first Test. That was at least partly due to a hugely improved defensive display by Ireland with captain Kieran McGeeney excellent in an organisational capacity and in the sweeping function he fulfilled throughout - his excellence paid the back-handed tribute of some physical targeting at the start of the second half. Beside him Tom Kelly had yet another terrific international outing.

Newcomer Anthony Moyles also impressed, tasked with restraining Barry Hall, who had been expected to wreak havoc. But Ireland never wavered in defensive application, getting the hand in to disrupt possession and preventing Australia possession and marks. It was this display at the back that prepared the path to an unlikely victory. By hanging on when under pressure Ireland ensured they were within range to take advantage of the late resurgence.

The defensive game plan needed constant focus, as the backs played a shadowing game, reluctant to over-commit in the tackle. There was also an improved understanding of how to use the hands to flick around loose ball.

Although there was some satisfaction in outscoring the Australians in terms of overs (points in the GAA) by 12-9, there was little between the teams' respective accuracy with Ireland kicking twice the number of wides (six to three), which requires 6.4 metres of additional inaccuracy in the international game.

Sheedy felt the match had been lost in the first quarter after which Ireland led by 12 (16-4), a lead that had shrunk to seven by half-time. It could have been worse for the visitors, as Ireland created goal chances that went unconverted - Seán Cavanagh shooting too early and Steven McDonnell being blocked.

The advantage was built on some well-taken overs by Alan Brogan, McDonnell, Paul Barden and especially one from Tadhg Kennelly, flashed over from the right wing in the first quarter.

Brogan was very prominent, dropping back and using his pace to bring the ball forward and newcomer Colm Begley also impressed, the know-how that has fast-tracked his AFL career very much in evidence.

Australia didn't get their game moving until after half-time. It was notable that at both ends the high-ball experts were having a tough time with Kieran Donaghy struggling for the whole match and the yield from Hall smaller than expected although he did make a couple of smart marks.

Ryan O'Keefe blossomed into Australia's top marksman in the second 36 minutes and ended as top scorer with 18, his only significant lapses two final-quarter frees, one brought into point-blank range after a foul by Aidan O'Mahony, which flew to the left for a behind and the other with two minutes on the clock, which tailed away and was cleared.

Nick Davis also featured prominently when the visitors made their third-quarter move. Kade Simpson's ball carrying was impressive and Australia were moving up the gears. Their goal came in the 52nd minute from a move that opened up Ireland, allowing Davis to place O'Keefe one-on-one with an empty net. There could have been others but Alan Quirke - who had an unhappy evening with his kick-outs - made good saves and crucially in the final quarter Marc Ó Sé blocked a shot on the line and Michael Voss could only turn the rebound into a behind.

But the work of the third quarter had been done and the lead overturned. Ireland trailed by four. By the 61st minute, the scoreboard read 39-30 to the visitors. There was an ominous feeling the result was heading to the sort of dimensions that would kill interest in the second Test.

The crowd were silent and Ireland only barely hanging on. Two elements built the recovery: the Australians' unwise decision to run down the clock and some outstandingly gutsy responses from a flagging home side.

Cavanagh led the comeback, kicking an over after a run into space. This was followed by an exceptional over from the right wing by McDonnell. The Armagh player had dropped a couple short earlier but his contribution to the final quarter was an exercise in taking responsibility. With three minutes left, Brogan took a lineball from Donaghy and picked out Bergin who slid in on his knees to take a vital mark in front of the posts and kick the over to cut the deficit to two.

Still in front, 40-39, Australia were turned over. Benny Coulter got the ball into McDonell and he coolly popped his fourth over to give Ireland the lead. From the restart possession was broken to McDonnell, who picked out Bergin. The Galway man was sufficiently assured to disregard the unmarked Coulter inside and slide the ball into the net.