Reasons to be cheerful for Kerr

Manager's reaction: "Ladies and gentlemen, the man of the moment." As an introduction, it was in keeping with the up-beat tempo of the night but as Brian Kerr took his seat with a broad grin on his face he was careful to murmur: "Well, not quite."

A triumphant conclusion to the first leg of Kerr's World Cup campaign perhaps but, as the fans drifted from the terraces into the mellow autumn night, it was clear that an accomplished victory against the Faroe Islands would be remembered as Robbie Keane's evening. Twenty-three international goals for Ireland and just twenty-four years old, it does not get much better.

"I'd hope he'll score a few more for us over the years too," beamed Kerr. "I don't reckon he is going to end up as a centre-back for us."

Keane's ultimately frustrating search for a hat-trick was the chief source of drama through a second half that seemed to usher in so many of the possibilities that were hoped for when the Kerr took up the Irish post.

Roy Keane was back to his bossy and immaculate self, peerless in the company of game, but limited opposition.

Damien Duff was a delight, Andy Reid grew in confidence and, as they had in Paris, the Irish team played some sweet football. As Kerr had requested in the build-up to last night's game, the Irish fans turned out in force, working the Lansdowne turnstiles to the hilt and packing the old ground.

" Well, yeah, they were great - I think they are responding to the way the team has been playing for a while now, going back to the Czech game. And Paris brought it on a bit. But I don't think it should be hard to get 37,000 to come along and see Ireland no matter who the opposition is," he continued.

And then the twinkle.

"Sure that would have been the crowd in Dalymount when I was a kid. I wouldn't have had my face pressed up against the wire or anything."

"Ah, happy days" sighed Bob McKenzie of INN.

Kerr chuckled. "Ahh, Liam has a handkerchief for ya there, Bob."

It was one of those nights: a pleasant interlude between some hard business accomplished and the serious evenings that will loom after Christmas. As Kerr takes stock, he has every reason to be pleased.

"I thought they played really well tonight, some great stuff. In the second half we had chances to score more goals and that would have been nice but, I mean, there was no lack of endeavour on their (the Faroes) part. They pushed up, got bodies in the box for the set pieces. And their goalie was their best player - he was busy. When the players look back I am sure they may feel we could have got a bit more out of this.But once they step back and take a look at it, they should be delighted with themselves. We have won the two home games we were expected to win and the away games, France and Switzerland, you never know that you are going to get. We have eight points and what we did over the last few days was a fair achievement. Most pleasing was the composure we have shown, especially in Paris. They should be happy with themselves." With Keane in such authoritative and positive mood - he was still tracking back, still coaxing (still coaching) in the 94th minute - the manager had a chance tonight to rest his legs and survey just what he is beginning to piece together. From Duff's early ethereal run through the Faroe Islands half of the field that led to Keane's penalty, it was a night that was pleasing on the eye.

"Ahh, I thought he was great. Every time he got the ball, it looked like he was could do something," Kerr agreed.

That Robbie Keane got to celebrate the record so easily set the mood. His second goal followed and after that it was like last night at the fair.

"I think it was a wonderful achievement for Robbie to get the record at such a young age. It was inevitable for a while, I suppose, since he got into the team at such a young age. When you think of how long it took previous players, guys like John Aldridge and Niall Quinn to reach that kind of figure, it says a lot. But I suppose there are a lot more games now." If it looked like his colleagues were trying to hand him a third goal on a silver plate, that was not the intention.

"Noh, I didn't see it that way - Damien had chances too and the defender that hit the back pass definitely was trying to get him his hat trick. It this_is_a_left_sq_bracketthe record] wasn't something we talked about before hand - I am sure it was in Robie's head but it was n't an issue for us." But it has been another milestone, seamlessly achieved. There will be sterner nights at Lansdowne Road for Brian Kerr but against the Faroe Islands, against part time players that must have carried echoes of his younger days as a soccer coach, it was his stadium. He left them singing on a cold October night. That will do fine for now.