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INPHO/James Crombie
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Ireland v Slovakia

Trapattoni’s men failed to break down a well-organised Slovakia team in a disappointing performance.

Send us your thoughts and comments on this afternoon’s game. E-mail paul@thescore.ie, tweet us @thescore_iefind us on Facebook, or leave a comment below.

Hello and welcome to our coverage live from the Aviva Stadium of Ireland against Slovakia.

Here are the teams:

Republic of Ireland: Given, O’Shea, Dunne, St Ledger, Ward, Duff, Andrews, Whelan, McGeady, Keane and Doyle.

Slovakia: Mucha, Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Cech, Weiss, Karhan, Stoch, Hamsik, Kucka, and Holosko.


Don’t know much about the Slovakian team? Check out our guide here.

Right, the anthems are over and we’re all set for kick-off here.

What are your predictions for tonight? I fancy a narrow 2-1 Ireland win, with two goals from Robbie Keane.

We’ve just had an immaculately observed minute silence for FAI National Council member Tom Hand, who passed away recently.

And we’re off…

Great atmosphere in the Aviva. Slovakia and Ireland fans alike seem up for this one.

Ireland have found themselves in one or two promising positions so far, but failed to really capitalise. This is epitomised by Kevin Doyle needlessly passing it out of play under pressure from a defender.

Lots of pressure from Ireland, who havc had the Slovakians pegged back in their own half once or twice already, but a lack of creativity in the final third has let them down.

Free kick is played in by McGeady but St Ledger is penalised for climbing all over his marker. Ireland can’t afford to waste too many of those.

Crunching tackle from the Slovakian right-back on John O’Shea, and he gets the throw-in much to the crowd’s dismay.

Good patient play by Ireland to retain possession. They’re not trying to force many passes and are adopting the type of conservative approach that you’d expect from a Trapattoni side.

Good play from Richard Dunne, as he covers Sean St Ledger there, when it looked as if the Slovakian striker was through on goal.

Duff and McGeady have been disappointing so far. They’ve found themselves in some promising positions but haven’t really troubled the Slovakians unduly.

Free kick for Slovakia just outside the Ireland box is well blocked down by St Ledger.

Robbie Keane is called offside for the millionth time in his career, as another Irish counter-attack fizzles out.

McGeady comes into the centre of the field to see if he can find some joy, but passes it straight to a Slovakian shirt. It’s been a frustrating evening so far.

Holosko’s header from a cross is well-saved by Given. Ireland are coming under a bit of pressure now.

John O’Shea lazily doesn’t track his marker, whose poor first touch results in the ball going out of play, giving Ireland a goal kick. It’s been a fairly error-prone game so far from both sides.

Poor cross-field pass from Duff results in another Irish attack breaking down.

Break in play as Durica is treated following a robust challenge from Richard Dunne.

Much better from Ireland. Through ball from Andrews to Duff, whose shot is well-saved by Mucha.

It all seems rather slow in attack from Ireland at the moment. They’ll need to up the tempo if they are to have any hope of breaking down this Slovakian defence, who seem pretty well-organised to be fair.

Doyle loses possession rather easily and proceeds to trip the Slovakian defender, as his frustration boils over. He’s lucky to escape a booking there.

Good play from McGeady who escapes his marker. He plays it to Ward, but the Wolves defender woefully overhits his cross… One minute of added time.

HALF TIME: Ireland 0-0 Slovakia

So overall a frustrating half of football for Giovanni Trapattoni’s men. They don’t really look like conceding, but they don’t really look like scoring either. It feels strangely low key for such an important qualifier.

Dunphy says that the problem is “we have two statues in midfield”. A tad harsh perhaps, but Andrews and Whelan haven’t really contributed much offensively.

You have to wonder how long it will be before we see a substitution if this dour performance continues. Cox, Lawrence and Hunt are all viable options from the bench.

Right, we’re about to get underway again. No changes from either side.

Right away Ward hoofs a ball down the pitch aimlessly and straight out of play. Not a good start.

Poor ball from Andrews who fails to play in Keane on the counter. I’ve lost count of how many overhit passes I’ve seen tonight.

Shouts for a penalty as Whelan goes down, but replays confirm he dived.

Slovakia are playing in a fairly defensive manner. They look like they’re playing for a point. With Ireland so impotent in attack, they look odds-on get a draw at the moment.

Weiss hits a cross shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box. That was a let-off for Ireland.

There are a fair few empty seats in the Aviva Stadium tonight, and on this evidence, you can see why.

Duff shoots from just outside the box, but his effort is always rising and consequently, it fails to trouble Mucha.

Weiss hits in a dangerous free-kick from the wing, but no one really attacks it and the ball goes out for a throw-in.

Brilliant block from St Ledger, as the Slovakian forward seemed to have the goal at his mercy there. Ireland are living on a knife edge at the moment.

There aren’t too many positives that can be taken from the game so far, but Dunne and St Ledger have been as solid as ever.

SUBSTITUTION: Cox on for Doyle. It really wasn’t the Wolves man’s night tonight. He looked short of fitness.

Weiss finds himself free in the Irish box. Ward clears for a corner, which is well dealt with by the defence.

Uncharacteristic error from Given who fails to throw it out properly and gives away an indirect free kick in the Irish penalty area, which is subsequently hammered into the wall.

Twenty minutes remaining. Ireland need a miracle from somewhere, as they don’t look capable of scoring at the moment.

Good effort from McGeady, who beats his man and shoots narrowly wide. Better from Ireland.

It really is staggeringly unambitious from Ireland. Andrews and Whelan are just sitting and refusing to join in the counter-attacks, leaving Ireland with a lack of bodies forward every time they break.

That was a gilt-edged chance! The perfect ball in from Duff and Keane heads over with the goal at his mercy. Poor from the Ireland skipper, he should have buried that.

SLOVAKIA SUBSTITUTION: Guede comes in for Kucka.

It’s been a poor game that’s been full of stoppages. Ireland have ten minutes to score, but they probably don’t deserve to win this one.

Ireland looked like they need someone to liven them up such as Stephen Hunt, but there’s no movement from the bench at the moment.

Good interplay from Cox and Keane, but the West Brom striker’s shot goes the wrong side of the post.

SUBSTITUTION: As might have been anticipated, Hunt has come on for McGeady. Meanwhile, Weiss, who looked like Slovakia’s best player, has been replaced by Jendrisek.

The defender had his arms all over Andrews in the penalty area, but the referee ignores it.

SUBSTITUTION: Vittek is on for Holosko.

St Ledger is booked for a trip on the onrushing Slovakian winger and misses the Russia game as a result. He’ll be a big loss.

Three minutes of added time. It looks pretty hopeless at the moment.

Corner for Ireland. Last chance…

Pinpoint cross from Hunt but St Ledger fails to connect properly with the header. Sums up Ireland’s evening really.

FULL TIME: IRELAND 0-0 SLOVAKIA.

Well that was pretty dire…

Still though, I guess the most important thing is that we didn’t lose, keeping us firmly in contention for qualification.

The crowd showed their disgust at the final whistle. They’re clearly not happy. Ditto Dunphy, who is criticising Ireland’s negative philosophy and says we need players such as McCarthy who “try to play football”.

One of the few reasons to be cheerful is Ireland’s away record. We’ve actually played far better away from home under Trap. Think of the France second leg, or the recent Italy friendly. So there is hope for the Russia game yet.

Right, that’s it from me. Thanks as always for reading and for your comments. It’s a shame Ireland couldn’t do the business, but take heart, we’re far from out of it yet. Don’t forget to join us on Sunday when we’ll be liveblogging the All-Ireland final.

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