Players on the fringe rise to the task

Out of the dark portents of Mick McCarthy's pre-match troubles came a significant victory for the Republic of Ireland in last night's friendly international at Lansdowne Road.

History teaches that friendly fixtures can be notoriously misleading in formulating opinion for the cut and thrust of competitive football. Yet as McCarthy reflected on the night's drama, played out before a crowd of 29,000, he was entitled to believe that the graph of Ireland's fortunes is still on an upward curve.

Defeat does not sit lightly with the team which Tommy Soderberg has restructured for Sweden. Four wins out of four in Group Five of the European preliminaries, testifies to the resource of a squad which last year, numbered wins over Italy and Denmark and a draw with France at the start of the road back to respectability.

It is true that for more than an hour, they often betrayed the signs of a team which believed that a non-competitive fixture in the last week of April was an undue imposition on tired limbs.

Ireland, too, were somewhat less than urgent in the opening half but once the deadlock had been broken in the 75th minute, the gloves came off and where caution had once been king, adventure took over.

It was in the remaining 15 minutes that McCarthy probably derived his greatest satisfaction as he watched his heavily improvised team, hit the visitors with a second goal just two minutes later and come tantalisingly close to a third before the end.

And to add to the sense of occasion, there was the spectacle of Graham Kavanagh and Mark Kennedy, two players with sketchy track records at this level, delivering the goals which eventually reduced the Swedes to second best on the night.

Kavanagh's previous international experience amounted to just three minutes in a holding role in midfield in the game in the Czech Republic last year. Now, with McCarthy delivering on his pledge to use all his players on the bench, he found himself with the luxury of 45 minutes to make his point - and the response was positive.

Taking over from Jason McAteer in midfield, he had already been in the action on several occasions when he was afforded the chance of producing the finishing qualities which have brought him many goals with Stoke City.

Tony Cascarino's adroit flick turned Kevin Kilbane's cross into a clear chance on the edge of the penalty area in the 75th minute. And the shot, hit with conviction, sped past goalkeeper Magnus Kihlstedt into the roof of the net.

That was a goal to decorate any stage and two minutes later Kennedy, another player with much to prove, capped an improved second half performance with the kind of finish which brooked no argument.

Again Cascarino, a 71st minute replacement for David Connolly, was prominent in the move, supplying the cross which eventually found its way, off the boot of a defender to Kennedy on the opposite side of the penalty area.

The Wimbledon winger hit the ball with his favoured left foot and from the edge of the area curled it passed Kihlstedt at his right hand post.

That was a strike to erase much of the disappointment he has experienced in his first season with Wimbledon and the effect was to galvanise the visitors into full blooded action for the first time.

Henrik Larsson, some way removed from the standards which have wrought havoc with Scottish defences this season, was denied by Kenny Cunningham's perception and later Jorgen Pettersson, perishing in the challenge of taking on Kennet Andersson's mantle, saw a goal-bound shot cleared by Steve Staunton.

In their attempt to rescue something from this, their first visit to Dublin in 28 years, Sweden gambled boldly in the closing stages and were almost punished when Robbie Keane in a one-on-one situation with Kihlstedt, saw his shot bounce off the goalkeeper's chest.

It was an encouraging night for McCarthy, the more so since the fringe players, those who owed their hour in the sun to withdrawals, prospered on the challenge. Steve Carr, on his international debut, made the point well with a composed performance which ensured that the latent threat of Jesper Blomqvist was stopped at source.

There was the encouragement of a big contribution from Kilbane after he had been introduced as a replacement for Mark Kinsella. The disillusionment of his only previous Ireland appearance in Iceland was now a planet removed as he ran at the defence with a confidence which would fuel Ireland's improved second-half display.

Kavanagh, a local lad from Ringsend who has just signed a new contract with Stoke, and Kennedy, also grew in stature and the effect was sufficient to unsettle a defence which had earlier presided with some authority.

Of the established players, there was much to admire in the manner in which Gary Breen has now settled as Cunningham's regular partner in central defence. Steve Staunton did well at left back and up front Niall Quinn was an unswerving as ever in the task of establishing aerial control.

Significantly it was when Sweden were confronted by the two big men, Quinn and Cascarino, that they crumbled. And in this, there may be food for thought for McCarthy who, like his predecessor, has always favoured the tactic of deploying a runner to work off a target player.

On a night when many of Sweden's big-name players didn't - or weren't allowed to - perform to pedigree, victory was no more than Ireland deserved in the end. And it will have sent out a message to the senior members of the squad that competition for first-team places is now more finely honed than ever.

Republic Of Ireland: Given, Carr, Staunton, McLoughlin, Cunningham, Breen (Babb 46), McAteer (Kilbane 46), Kinsella (Kavanagh 46), Quinn (Keane 79), Connolly (Cascarino 71), Kennedy (Duff 79). Subs Not Used: Kelly. Goals: Kavanagh 75, Kennedy 77.

Sweden: Kihlstedt, Kamark, P Andersson, Bjorklund (Jakobsson 46), Lucic, Schwarz, Mild (Alexandersson 46), D Andersson, Blomqvist, Larsson, Petterson (Jonsson 82). Subs Not Used: Sundgren, Svensson, K Andersson, Asper.

Referee: P Garibian (France).