Ireland 2 Faroe Islands 0 – World Cup qualifier, Lansdowne Road, October 13, 2004
HAVING PERSUADED THE country’s best player to return to the international fold a couple of months prior to the visit of the Faroes for the very first time, Ireland manager Brian Kerr was able to include Roy Keane in a team which also featured his namesake Robbie, Damien Duff, Shay Given, John O’Shea and captain Kenny Cunningham for the World Cup 2006 qualifier.
Ireland had recorded one win (Cyprus) and two draws (Switzerland and France) heading into the game and added another three points thanks to a Robbie Keane double. The 24-year-old scored twice in the first half to break Niall Quinn’s international record of 21 but should really have bagged at least a hat-trick after missing a string of chances in front of a sell-out crowd at Lansdowne Road.
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Ireland: Given, Carr, O’Brien, Cunningham, O’Shea (Miller 56), Finnan, Roy Keane, Kilbane, Duff, Robbie Keane, Andy Reid.
Faroe Islands: Mikkelsen, Thorsteinsson, Oli Johannesen, Jon Roi Jacobsen, Olsen, Borg (Danielsen 85), Johnsson, Benjaminsen, Rogvi Jacobsen (Lakjuni 58), Frederiksberg (Flotum 83), John Petersen.
Faroe Islands 0 Ireland 2 – Word Cup qualifier, Torshavn, June 8, 2005
Kerr brought his team to the Northern Atlantic islands eight months later and earned an identical result albeit without their top marksman. Days earlier, they had dropped two important points at home to Israel but broke the deadlock in the 51st minute when Stephen Elliott (remember him?) was fouled inside the area before Ian Harte dispatched the penalty.
In pretty awful conditions, Kevin Kilbane fortuitously added a second via a deflect off Faroes skipper Oli Johannesen. Kerr obviously impressed the locals as although he failed to get Ireland to the World Cup, the former St Patrick’s Athletic boss returned to Torshavn four years later to take over as the national manager.
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Faroe Islands: Mikkelsen, Hansen, Danielsen, Johannesen, Olsen, Rogvi Jacobsen (Christian Hogni Jacobsen 59), Benjaminsen (Borg 80), Johnsson, Lakjuni, Jorgensen (Akselsen 80), Flotum.
Ireland: Given, Carr, O’Shea, Cunningham, Harte, Andy Reid, Roy Keane, Kilbane, Duff, Morrison (Doherty 80), Elliott.
