Republic of Ireland 3 Kazakhstan 1: Keane and Co bow out with win that raises hope for next boss

By Colin Young

Published: 16:38 EDT, 15 October 2013 | Updated: 18:58 EDT, 15 October 2013

Robbie Keane says the new manager needs balls and on Tuesday night the players he will inherit did their bit to claim one of the second-seed spheres in next year’s Euro qualifiers draw.

So now it is over to Romania (in their two play-off games) after Turkey and Slovenia blew their chances of claiming one of the second-seed slots in the Euro 2016 pots.

The Republic of Ireland at least did their bit to make the job enticing for their new manager. But it was hard work, it was a long night and not much fun for those who bothered to turn up.

Top man: Ireland teammates celebrate with John O'Shea after he scores their second

Three results went Ireland’s way ahead of next year’s European Championships draw. Now only two victories for Romania in next month’s play-offs will deny Ireland a place.

Of course the most important result, and performance, was the one which unfolded in front of a depressingly low turnout Aviva Stadium.

And after an early scare had silenced the few who were there to be silenced, Ireland fought back to win their final game in a campaign which realistically ended last month.

It was hardly the scintillating attacking performance that Noel King had dreamed of, and a country demanded, but at least his second, and probably last game in charge, did not end in defeat.

Freed from the shackles of an Italian defensive despot, the Ireland team proved at times that they can react to the bark and comfort of an Irishman with an attacking display to restore some pride and confidence. It’s just those moments were few and far between.

Spot on: Robbie Keane celebrates after equalising Kazakhstan's opener with a penalty

Unexpected: Dmitriy Shomko gives Kazakhstan an early lead against the run of play

In front: Richard Dunne (left) congratulates John O'Shea for giving Ireland the lead on 26mins

Hero to zero: Kazakhstan goalscorer Dmitriy Shomko nets an own goal to give Ireland a 3-1 win

Trapattoni may have been very particular and rigid about his players’ defensive duties but the temporary manager appeared to throw caution to the wind with his team selection and named an attacking starting line-up to keep the Kazakhs on the back foot for the majority of the game.

Just as there were when his team-sheet was brought out before kick-off in Cologne, so a few eyebrows were raised when King’s team was announced. So much so it led to Shane Long to send a tweet saying ‘Cowboy’. May be that was a coincidence.

Few would disagree that Andy Reid’s return to the Ireland starting line-up was six years too late.

The Nottingham Forest midfielder, who fell out with Trapattoni over a late-night post-match sing-song in Germany, last started a game for his country in November 2006 and Ireland have missed the guile and passing expertise which has been so prevalent at Sunderland and the City Ground during that time.

Reid quickly got into the mood, launching Ireland’s first attack after six minutes with a deflected shot which Andrey Sidelnikov spilled bizarrely into the path of Robbie Keane who, along with James McCarthy and Darron Gibson, was unable to take advantage of that particular error.

And he was at the centre of most that was good about Ireland, including the bizarre incident which led to their equaliser after Dmitriy Shomko had stunned the Aviva with his wonder strike.

As left-foot strikes go, Shomko’s will rate among the best the old and new stadium has seen. Sadly, David Forde didn’t see it as it flew into his top corner. There weren’t many there to be silenced but he managed it.

It took Ireland an eternity to cancel out Kazakhstan’s early goal at the start of this campaign but they needed just four minutes to draw level this time.

Full back Alexander Kislitsyn inexplicably gifted Ireland the goal with a ridiculous handball, admittedly under pressure from the sizeable presence of Richard Dunne as they scrapped for a Reid free-kick.

Keane’s sly shimmy and right-foot finish deceived keeper Sidelkinov and gave the LA Galaxy veteran his 61st international goal and his sixth of the qualifiers.

While Keane found the net regularly to keep Ireland’s faint hopes of reaching Brazil alive until last month, John O’Shea had only scored once for his country, and that was a friendly.

And on Tuesday he bagged his first goal since August 2003 when Sidelkinov spilled a Dunne header from Reid’s corner into his path. The Sunderland skipper thumped the ball into the net from close range.

While Reid was welcomed back into the side, there were other decisions from the Under 21 boss which were more perplexing.

Ireland's Andy Reid put in an industrious performance. Click here to see more statistics from our brilliant Match Zone

Sore point: Ireland's Darron Gibson is stretched off in the first-half watched by caretaker boss Noel King

Hoof it! Seamus Coleman (left) clears the ball from Kazakhstan's Maxat Baizhanov during the game

In glove and war: Kazakhstan's goalkeeper Andrey Sidelinikov had a busy night in goal

Which way now? Robbie Keane points the way for Ireland to find a new manager

As he had in Cologne, King played players out of their normal positions. He had the advantage of welcoming back Keane to captain the side for the 63rd time, so of course he took up the lone striker role, but that meant Anthony Stokes and Kevin Doyle were used on the right and left wings.

Given that an awful pass from Stokes had led to Germany’s opening goal on Friday night, the decision to use the Celtic striker ahead of Aiden McGeady seemed a strange one.

And that was also highlighted in the 21st minute when he played in a lousy right-footed cross from a promising position after skipping past his marker Konstantine Engel.

A flat game was not helped by Gibson’s painful exit, which brought a depressing note to the game.

And there were few chances after half-time although Reid planted a cheeky lob on top of the net, Keane should have had a second and McCarthy drilled two shots wide. Igor Yurin nearly embarrassed Forde with one long-range shot but Kazakhstan were no real danger.

Stokes worked hard, but struggled to make an impact until the final 15 minutes when his clever back heel was played into the path of McGeady, whose low cross was eventually bundled over by Shomko. One he will never forget, one he won’t want to remember.

A bit like Ireland’s 2014 World Cup really. At last, it’s over.