Keane enjoys home comforts

Republic of Ireland 2 Georgia 1:Despite insisting all week that the result was all that mattered, Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni must be at least a little concerned at the manner in which his side moved to the top of the Group Eight table alongside Italy.

After conceding a first minute goal his side laboured through the first half and were gifted an equaliser from the spot in the second, before Robbie Keane doubled his tally to deny Hector Cuper’s side the victory they craved.

It was a calamitous start. An Ucha Lonjanidze ball from deep was flicked on by David Siradze and after Stephen Kelly, in at full-back for the injured Paul McShane, failed to clear, Alexander Iashvili prodded past the helpless Shay Given.

After a stunned silence a roar went up from the home crowd but the response wasn’t there. Aiden McGeady, starting on the left, fashioned openings but repeatedly miscued crosses.

Kelly looked unsettled at the back and allowed Iashvili to threaten on another two occasions.

With five in midfield when Ireland were on the ball the Georgians were difficult to break down, especially with the hosts so wasteful in possession and the central pair of Andrews and Whelan outnumbered in a midfield.

Andrews had the ball in the net on 25 minutes but the celebrations were shortlived as Doyle was rightly ruled offside after jumping the Blackburn midfielder’s shot.

The Georgians discipline slipped a little late on and, when Andrews was chopped down, Whelan’s ball found Kilbane who headed across to Keane but the captain’s close range header was saved.

Five minutes from the break McGeady finally produced an end product when ghosting past Zurab Menteshashvili and then Luka Razmadze before seeing his solid effort from 25 yards saved by Lomaia. Duff picked up the pieces on the edge of the box but he and Keane then got in a tangle and a goal kick resulted.

It was sloppy stuff and it was the Georgians who were neater in attack despite having less possession. Moments before the halftime whistle was greeted by jeers, Kobiashvili’s measured effort needed to be pushed to safety by Given.

Ireland were more measured in the early stages of the second period but half chances came and went, more by accident than design.

All looked lost when Kobiashvili was given time and space on the edge of the box and his shot deflected on to Given’s post into the path of Iashvili who poked home, only for the offside flag to deny the Karlsruhe striker.

McGeady was immediately set free by Duff and skinned Lobjanidze before his low cross was turned behind for a corner. The Celtic winger then forced a save from Lomaia after getting the better of his man again before his thunderous right-footed effort struck the side netting.

With 25 minutes remaining the Georgians became predictably ponderous over the deadball and the homeside’s frustration grew as did that of the fans. Hector Cuper then made two changes, replacing Gotsiridze with Giorgi Merebashvili and Menteshashvili with Levan Khmaladze.

No amount of tactics, however, could have prevented Ireland’s equaliser, a phantom penalty awarded by Finnish referee Jouni Hyytia, when Keane looked the offender having been called offside by the linesman.

After furious protests that earned Georgia their fifth yellow card, this time for Khizinishvili, Keane equalised from the spot.

A brilliant save from Lomaia then denied Doyle but Ireland took the lead from when the captain headed home McGeady’s corner, with the help of a deflection.

Duff was promptly replaced by Stephen Hunt as Trapattoni looked to close out the game, but the manager was at his most animated in the dying minutes as he urged his side to keep possession and their shape.

In truth though, there was little fight left in the opposition, deflated by a highly questionable decision and the prospect of another bitter 2-1 defeat at the hands of Trapattoni’s side.

Republic of Ireland: Given; Kelly, Dunne, O'Shea, McGeady, Andrews, Whelan, Duff (Hunt 80); Keane, Doyle

Georgia: Lomaia; Lobjanidze, Kaladze, Khizinishvili, Kvirkelia; Razmadze, Siradze (Aleksidze 77), Kobiashvili, Menteshashvili (Khmaladze 70), Iashvili, Gotsiridze (Merbeshvili 68).

Referee: Jouni Hyytia (Finland)