Rep of Ireland 4 Oman 1: Robbie Brady marked his first senior Republic of Ireland cap with a goal and an assist in a lively friendly win over Oman, as Giovanni Trapattoni also gave debuts to David Meyler, Darron Randolph and another goalscorer Alex Pearce at Craven Cottage.
The 20-year-old Manchester United prospect also had a hand in the first goal when his deep free kick found the head of Sean St Ledger - at late inclusion after Paul McShane took ill - who headed it back across the face of goal for Shane Long to nod the opener from close range after seven minutes.
Brady then latched on to a dropping ball just over 20 yards out to volley home with his weaker right boot past Ali Al-Habsi, before delivering a delightful free kick from the left on to the head of captain Kevin Doyle who ensured a 3-0 halftime lead. Substitutions and some unfamiliar positioning for some led to a more disjointed second half, in which Oman struck back through Eid Al-Farsi before Pearce headed home a corner to punish some slack defending from Paul Le Guen’s side.
Some early stray passes aside it was a hugely impressive bow for the 20-year-old Brady, who was called into the squad after Friday’s lacklustre 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Kazakhstan. Meyler, too, was busy alongside James McCarthy in midfield as Ireland sought to play through the - admittedly poor - opposition, a lot more than they had four days ago in Astana.
Oman threatened mostly from long distance and Mortherwell goalkeeper Randolph, having replaced David Forde at the break, was forced into a fine save by Al-Farsi shortly before the hour mark. Pearce was also introduced for Marc Wilson at the interval.
After a flat start to the second half, Doyle was replaced by James McClean just after his header at the backpost went marginally wide. The Sunderland man’s introduction – days after he took to Twitter to criticise the manager’s decision to omit from the first game of the new competitive campaign - saw Andy Keogh move up front with Shane Long, while McCarthy was soon replaced by Simon Cox.
McClean almost made an immediate impact but Al-Habsi kept the score down by tipping the Derryman’s swerving free-kick around the post. He then volleyed marginally over after a marauding run out of defence from Séamus Coleman - who was a threat from full-back all night before shifting quite successfully to central midfield when making room for Joey O’Brien - allowed Brady to find Meyler with a clever reverse pass before the midfielder found his club-mate at the backpost.
Brady was called ashore in the 70th minute to allow Aiden McGeady some game time and almost immediately Oman struck a consolation down Ireland’s right handside when Al-Farsi crept in behind the defence and finished neatly across Randolph, who was called into action again soon afterwards when twice denying Amad Al-Hosni.
Pearce had almost got off the mark in the 69th minute when he got on the end of Brady’s cross, but Al-Habsi again pulled off another great save. Not to be denied the Reading defender made the most of space at the back post with minutes remaining to begin his Ireland career with a flourish.
With Germany to come in October, the Trapattoni will have seen enough from Brady, Coleman and Meyler to know he has options but then the European superpower will be a different prospect entirely at the Aviva Stadium. The Italian may also have been concerned by the sight of one of his go-to men, Simon Cox, hobbling off with an ankle injury late in the game.
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