Preparation draws to a fitting close

Norway1 Rep of Ireland 1IT NEVER FELT remotely like the sort of occasion to inspire song so we got 90 minutes of chattering in the rain last night at Oslo's Ullevaal stadium, where Robbie Keane's 34th goal for his country maintained Giovanni Trapattoni's unbeaten record as the Republic of Ireland completed their preparations for more challenging days ahead.

From the outset this was low-intensity stuff. Both sides knocked the ball around well for spells, but it was clear within minutes the Republic's recent run of high-scoring, one-sided, late-summer friendlies was at an end. That it finished level seemed just about right, though Aage Haaland might argue his side's superiority in increasingly difficult conditions merited a winner.

Indeed, if anyone looked like they were going to score early on, it was the Norwegians, the home side breaking at pace a couple of times to leave the Irish defence looking lost. Within a few of minutes of the kick-off Martin Andresen had demonstrated his ability to pick out a team-mate in space as Fredrik Winsnes popped up between Richard Dunne and Kevin Kilbane but just failed to control the chipped-through ball.

Most of Ireland's early problems stemmed from the left flank, however, and John O'Shea's repeated failure to deal more decisively with what should have been straightforward tasks left Shay Given looking exposed in goal.

The goalkeeper got down well to stop John Arne Riise's low drive from a tight angle 20 minutes. And he was quite brilliant soon after when throwing himself forward to block Mohammed Abdellaoui's shot when the Valerenga striker had been sent racing clean through. The rebound fell kindly for Thorstein Helstad but Dunne was quick to smother the follow-up shot and the danger was cleared.

In midfield the Irish settled well. Steven Reid looked particularly impressive on his first appearance in an Ireland shirt for close on two years.

While the role of Glenn Whelan beside him was almost exclusively defensive, Reid looked to get the team going forward when possession was on, and there were early signs of a good understanding with some of the regulars, notably Keane and Damien Duff.

Out wide, both full backs sought to lend offensive support by getting forward when opportunity arose, and they were helped by the Norwegians' formation - three advanced midfielders but no real wide men playing just in front of Andresen.

The problem, more than once, was the space they left behind and the Irish defence's occasional inability to defend it effectively while their team-mates funnelled back. Next month, one presumes, there will be a little more urgency.

As the rain intensified the Irish initially began to threaten more. Over the first half hour the best chances had come from the individual efforts of Keane and Duff, neither of whom had been able to provide the finish required to put their side in front.

When the pair combined a couple of minutes before the break, however, it seemed to make the difference. The Newcastle United winger fed Keane after Brede Hangeland's mistake in possession and the striker went on to cut inside Tore Reginiussen and beat a lethargic-looking Hangeland to the ball to fire home.

In the couple of minutes that remained of the half Andresen produced a quick display of dribbling that got him past three Irish defenders and into a good position from which to cross. His attempt to loft the ball into the goalmouth on the turn was, however, turned high into the air by a deflection, and Given looked solid again as he came to gather under pressure.

By the time the sides returned for the second half things had changed. Large pools of surface water were now visible across the centre of the pitch. Almost immediately, the scale of the problem became apparent as passes stopped dead and players struggled to time challenges on opponents who were themselves struggling to control the ball.

The game, understandably, became more direct, and the Norwegians adapted better, Andresen now looking to drop the ball in behind the Irish defence for team-mates to run on to.

Within six minutes the teams were level. Duff conceded a free out on the right and Andresen stepped up to take it.

The delivery was good but Dean Kiely, on at half-time for Given, should have done better than flap at it after coming, and Kilbane had cause to be disappointed too when he headed back into his own six-yard box for Reginiussen to turn the ball home.

Had there been anything at stake the 40 minutes that remained might have been more compelling, but the proceedings became increasingly scrappy.

Riise produced something of a highlight just short of the midway point in the half when he met Andresen's corner with a fiercely struck volley that flew off Kilbane and wide.

The Ireland left back cleared the resulting corner, perhaps eager to make amends for his part in the goal.

In the closing minutes the Norwegians might have had a winner when, in a repeat of the corner and first-time-shot routine, Riise's attempt on goal first struck Winsnes before being deflected narrowly wide by an unwitting defender.

There was a little more pressure by Norway as the crowd of 16,037 dwindled but Ireland had their draw and probably showed enough when it mattered to suggest they are in decent shape for the first of their World Cup qualifiers, wherever that may be.

NORWAY: Jarstein (Rosenborg); Hogli (Tromso), Reginiussen (Tromso), Hangeland (Fulham), Riise(Roma); Andresen (Valerenga); Stromstad (Le Mans), Winsnes (Stromgodset), Holm (Valerenga); Abdellaoui (Valerenga), Helstad (Le Mans). Subs: Haestad (Valerenga) for Stromstad (43 minutes), Pedersen (Blackburn Rovers) for Holm (half-time), Nevland (Fulham) for Helstad (57 mins), Grindheim (Heerenveen) for Abdellaoui (81 mins).

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND:Given (Newcastle United); Finnan (Liverpool), O'Shea (Manchester United), Dunne (Manchester City), Kilbane (Wigan Athletic); A McGeady (Celtic), S Reid (Blackburn Rovers), Whelan (Stoke City), Duff (Newcastle United); Keane (Liverpool), Doyle (Reading). Subs: Kiely (Stoke City) for Given (half-time), Murphy (Sunderland) for Doyle (64 mins), Kelly (Birmingham City) for Finnan, Hunt (Reading) for McGeady (both 69 mins).

Referee:M Whitby (Wales).