Ireland humbled by class Huntelaar

Republic of Ireland 0 Holland 4: Steve Staunton's week could hardly have got worse. Or so he probably thought.  Having lost eight players in the build up to his only warm-up game ahead of Germany in Stuttgart in a fortnight, and being confronted by a 'gunman', of sorts, on Monday, he could have been forgiven for thinking so anyway.

Unfortunately, it did.  Holland came to Lansdowe Road last night, began at a trot, cantered for a while, and then strolled to a 4-0 victory.

And, in doing so, they showed off the reason why Ruud van Nistelrooy is sitting in Madrid - and might well stay there for European Championship qualification.  Klaas Jan Huntelaar is his name.  Scoring goals is his….etc etc.

The more experienced of Staunton's experimental 11 took to the pitch with predictable gusto, both Graham Kavanagh and Steve Finnan brave in the tackle, while John O'Shea and Andy O'Brien coped well with lively early movement from Huntelaar.

Going forward however, there was little of the adventurous play that Staunton had tried to instil.  Too many times the ball was punted over the midfield in the direction of Clinton Morrison and Stephen Elliott up front.

The two did link up well at one stage with a neat one two ending at the feet of Elliott, whose shot was deflected past the post by fullback Tim De Cler, but otherwise there was little to get the crowds off their seats.

The opposition in contrast, were passing with glee. Their full backs pushed up the wing and the two wide men, Van Persie and Arjen Robben, traded places every now and then to keep Steve Finnan and Stephen Carr - on his international return - occupied.

Carr could have done with an easier reintroduction having not kicked a ball in anger for some months, but there was no hiding place as Robben and De Cler constantly found space down the Irish right.

For all their possession, however, Paddy Kenny was not troubled that much early on but the Dutch were always hinting at what was to come.

The Sheffield United 'keeper should have been made work in the 12th minute but Robben dragged his shot into the sidenetting after a cheeky reverse pass from a Van Persie free kick that nobody in a green jersey appeared to see coming.

At the other end Morrison forced Van der Sar into a routine save after Kavanagh and the Crystal Palace striker linked up well but Ireland were rocked again soon after.

This time Finnan came to the rescue when Joris Mathijesen's back post header looked like opening the scoring and O'Brien then bravely stuck his head in front of a Schaars shot.

The Dutch had a taste now and they finally began to show what they had been threatening in the early stages.

Huntelaar, the toast of domestic Dutch football of late, sensed he could build on his formidable scoring record - and he did, at the third attempt.  In the 23rd minute the Ajax striker and international debutant pounced after Kenny parried a Robben strike, but he was ruled offside.

He popped up a moment later but was denied by Kenny again and won a corner.  This time he wasn't to be stopped as he was allowed slip in at the back post to direct Van Persie's cross into the net.

The Dutch were well worth their lead and barring brief excursions into their half by Ireland they always looked likely to get another before the break, the only surprise was how late it arrived.

When it did, though, it was a gift from Elliott, whose misplaced pass inside his own box was beautifully redirected via Huntelaar's heel into the path of Robben.  His shot was too good for Kenny.

A host of changes heralded the start of the second half, with Staunton going for broke on blooding the youngsters.

Carr was replaced by Alan O'Brien, the midfield duo of Reid and Kavanagh made way for Blackburn's Jonathan Douglas and Manchester United's Liam Miller and Reading's Kevin Doyle replaced Morrison.

Crucially, nobody replaced Huntelaar.

There was admirable desire from Ireland's new additions but there was simply no stopping a Dutch side that had by this stage developed an appetite.

Immediately after Alan O'Brien's pace afforded Ireland a three-on-one situation - which the Newcastle United player criminally wasted - Huntelaar's deft chip from Van Der Vaart's centre, made it three.

It was a cruel reality check for the speedy O'Brien and one he is unlikely to forget.

Liverpool and Newcastle target Dirk Kuyt's introduction for Robben also brought a new type of threat.  Kuyt's natural position is - unfortunately for him - also Huntelaar's, but he made do with what he got and kept Finnan and latterly Stephen Kelly very bust at right back.

The Feyenoord striker was out to impress the watching Glenn Roeder and will have done so despite wildly blazing one opportunity over when set up by Van Persie.

The Arsenal frontman was then rewarded, 20 minutes from time, for some exquisite link up play and footwork. Once again Huntelaar was the architect.  The 23-year-old controlled a long ball before slipping it in behind O'Shea and O'Brien, for Van Persie to cheekily clip over the advancing Kenny.

The Dutch could have made it worse and surpassed the 5-0 defeat to Spain in 1931, but a combination of the woodwork, last ditch tackles and complacency on their part kept the score at just the four.

Ireland's heads didn't drop, it must be noted, with Douglas, Alan O'Brien and Doyle all creating but then wasting opportunities - mistakes that ultimately contributed to the worst home defeat since Germany in 1966.

A head-scratcher for Staunton, indeed. A few frantic phone calls to physio rooms across the water will surely be made over the coming days.

Rep of Ireland: Kenny, Carr (Alan O'Brien 45), O'Shea, O'Brien, Finnan (Kelly 63), Kilbane, Kavanagh (Douglas 45), Reid (captain) (Miller 45), McGeady, Morrison (Doyle 45), Elliott

Holland: Van der Sar, Heitinga, De Cler (Emanuelson 60), Ooijer (Jaliens 77), Mathijssen, Schaars (Janssen 82), Lanzzaat (De Jong 45), Van Der Vaart, Robben (Kuyt 45), van Persie, Jan Huntelaar.

Referee: Tom Henning Overbo (Norway)

Bookings: Landzaat 5'