Bulgaria 1 Rep of Ireland 1:The Republic of Ireland maintained their five point advantage over Bulgaria tonight, but rode their luck at times in a match eerily similar to the previous meeting between the sides in Croke Park. As was the case in March, Stephen Hunt won and delivered a free-kick for Richard Dunne to head home, before Kevin Kilbane's error allowed the hosts back into the game.

From then on it was backs against the wall for Giovanni Trapattoni’s men, who will be especially grateful Richard Dunne was passed fit to play despite a knee injury.

"It was a very tough game. We started the way we wanted, we passed the ball well, got the goal and got in front," Dunne told RTE television afterwards.

"But after that, it was such a big game for (Bulgaria), they really needed to win and they were always going to come at us."

John O’Shea also impressed when keeping tabs on Martin Petrov but was replaced by Stephen Kelly with 10 minutes remaining after picking up a knock.

Dunne’s contribution cannot be overstated though. With Sean St Ledger winning his competitive debut beside him, the Manchester City captain was assured and commanding, never more so than when easing his clubmate Martin Petrov off the ball in the box when it looked like the winger was through on goal.

Dimitar Berbatov had to drop ever deeper to escape his attentions and became increasingly anonymous as the game wore on. With the score at 1-1, four minutes before the break, the Tallaght man’s vital interception also prevented Valerie Bojinov from giving Bulgaria the lead from four yards out.

His goal came after an encouraging opening half an hour for the visitors, one that saw them play some of their best football under Trapattoni.

The industrious duo of Hunt and Caleb Folan had already forced good but routine saves from Dimitar Ivankov, before Dunne’s header downwards was nearly swept goalwards on the turn by captain Robbie Keane.

It was a bright start from Ireland and got better when Hunt was taken down and planted the resultant free-kick on the head of Dunne, unmarked thanks to a cheeky block by O'Shea on his club-mate Berbatov.

“I got my head on the first two that came across," added Dunne, "and on the third one John O’Shea said he would block Berbatov and it worked perfectly, he blocked him, it was a free header and I’m delighted.”

The goal was invaluable, but ultimately changed the pattern of the game as the Bulgarian midfield of Stilian Petrov and Stanislav Angelov looked to get on the ball more and did so immediately and effectively.

Martin Petrov might have levelled within a minute but lifted his shot from a tight angle over Shay Given’s crossbar, but the battle had been joined and Ireland were forced to weather a storm from then until the break.

The equaliser came just four minutes after the opener and it arrived courtesy of an inexplicable mistake from Kilbane, who misjudged a hopeful ball forward and allowed Dimitar Telkiyski thorugh on goal to slot past Given.

with Angelov pulling the strings from central midfield and Berbatov prowling menacingly from deep, the alarm bells were ringing.

Dunne had to head a Bojinov shot away and then intercept Angelov's cross just before his Manchester City team-mate could pounce with Bulgaria now in full swing.

Given got his body firmly behind a long-range strike from Radostin Kishishev in injury-time and the whistle came as a welcome relief for Ireland and their fans.

It was no surprise when the Bulgarians resumed where they had left off and O'Shea endured a challenging start to the second half as Martin Petrov got the bit between his teeth. Twice within quick succession he proved up to the task to dispossess the City man before he could do any real damage.

There was a let-off with 57 minutes gone when Angelov picked out Berbatov in space at the far post, only for the striker to miscontrol and allow Given to step in.

Ireland were marooned inside their own half but they were defending manfully in the face of a concerted assault.

Bulgaria were struggling to create clear-cut chances and were becoming increasingly desperate.

Central defender Ilian Stoyanov blasted just over from 25 yards with 20 minutes remaining.

The Irish wall then did its job to keep out substitute Blagoy Georgiev's 77th-minute free-kick in a tense finish, with Bulgaria dominating possession but meeting stern resistance all the way to the whistle.

In Ireland's only significant chance of the half, substitute Aiden McGeady, on for Hunt, almost snatched victory at the death with a right-foot shot that whistled inches wide.

Nonetheless, a point was good enough and moved Ireland to within one of leaders Italy, having played a game more.

Elsewhere in the group, it's as you were for Cyprus and Montenegro who drew 2-2 in Larnaca and are well adrift on five and four points respectively.