The Republic of Ireland's World Cup challenge is now on life support after Lithuania had somehow managed to escape defeat on a night when good fortune blended with old fashioned courage, to earn them a precious point at Lansdowne Road. Now the escape routes have all but been cut off for the Irish who must now win at least two of their last three remaining games, including the return with the Lithuanians in Vilnius next month, if they are to reach the play-off stages in the competition.

Somehow we sensed we'd been here before as we watched the home team rake the visiting goal from a variety of distances and from almost every conceivable angle. But the end product was nothing more than a dozen hair-raising escapes and a marathon of frustration for a crowd of just over 32,000 who, forewarned by bitter experience, were already beginning to sense the worst early in the second half.

Anxiety bred desperation and desperation hardened into undeniable panic in the last hour when too often passion took precedence over poise in the escalating challenge of finding a way through a big, forthright Lithuanian defence.

In the sense that chances were created but lost, this was marginally more acceptable than the scoreless draw against Iceland here nine months ago. But that was no consolation as two more precious points disappeared down the plug hole and the road to France suddenly looked more cluttered than ever.

On a night of some incredible misses, the most glaring and, ultimately the most expensive, was Ray Houghton's inability to put away a simple chance in a situation in which he could scarcely miss in the 89th minute.

Over the years, the midfielder has put his name on goals which are part of Irish football legend.

That priceless strike against England at Stuttgart and the score which brought Italy to their knees in the 1994 World cup finals, have ensured him of a place among the father figures of the game in this country.

Equally, however, there have been occasions when his audacity and his ambition took him into goal-scoring positions - and moments of profligacy which pushed the men in green out of two European championship finals.

Sadly, the 1998 World Cup finals may now be added to that list for if Ireland fail to make it to France, McCarthy will be entitled to recall Houghton's glaring error as the defining moment.

A dozen chances had gone to ground when Tony Cascarino, on as a second half replacement for Niall Quinn, headed the ball at a comfortable height to Houghton just three yards out. Even by his extravagant standards, it scarcely seemed missable but miss it he did as his diving header flew across the goal-mouth and wide.

Earlier, he had spurned two likely opportunities approaching half time and those errors would weigh like a millstone around the home team as they sought to plot a way out of an increasingly urgent situation in the second half.

To imply, however that Houghton was the only thriftless member of the team, would be grossly unfair. Niall Quinn, back in the team against all the odds - and it seemed, McCarthy's initial judgement - missed blatantly in the opening half: David Connolly, learning the hard way that not all defences in international football are as brittle as Liechtenstein, might have had a hat-trick and as the game wore on, Roy Keane and David Kelly would be added to the list.

It was all vastly disappointing, the more so since Lithuania, after a bright enterprising start, retreated into the defensive shell which almost everybody had predicted. But if the home team profited from a somewhat similar experience in the Icelandic assignment, it wasn't immediately apparent.

True, the movement off the ball was a lot more imaginative on this occasion but when the real questions were asked, the response was just was muted. But this time, it may have been one mission too many in terms of extravagance.

Surprisingly, McCarthy left Dennis Irwin out of his starting line up, preferring to go instead with Jeff Kenna in a back three formation completed by Ken Cunningham and Ian Harte. Kenna's distribution was generally useful but overall it was Cunningham, growing in authority with each game, who took the honours in this department.

Roy Keane was voted man of the match, a just reward on a night when he was a lot more ambitious going forward. His tackling, too, was sharp but when it came to summoning the vital touch of inspiration in the six-yard area, he was as bankrupt as his colleagues.

Andy Townsend flitted in and out of the game with disturbing regularity and Steve Staunton has known better games, particularly in his distribution. Niall Quinn, again trading on an immense heart, spared nothing in the 60 minutes he was on the pitch but no less than David Connolly alongside him, he will recall this as one of his more disappointing evenings.

The notion that Lithuania's enterprise would not stretch beyond the occasional sortie out of defence, was effectively dismissed within minutes of the kick off. After the Portuguese referee had rejected appeals that Raimondas Zutautas deliberately handled Niall Quinn's shot inside the penalty area, the visitors surprised the home defence with the ambition and fluency of their build up.

Saulius Mikalajnas, already occasioning problems with some impish runs, set up Armnas Narbekovas for the shot which Given saved at the expense of a corner and then the goalkeeper was perfectly placed to hold Tomas Zlukas's angled shot at the near upright.

That presaged a difficult assignment for the Irish and by the time they broke the outer ring of the Lithuanian defence for the first time, the game was already into its second quarter. But the attack when it came, was worthy of an opening goal.

Houghton, charging through the middle, picked out Quinn with the cross but while contact was clean, the ensuing header was marginally too high and came to rest on the top of the netting.

That was close enough to move the crowd for the first time and they groaned again shortly afterwards, this time after Quinn, under pressure from Tomas Kancelskis, had failed to make the vital contact with Townsend's inviting cross.

Quinn, unaware that he had been flagged for offside, still failed to beat the goalkeeper in a one on one situation in the 24th minute. That was scarcely re-assuring for either him or his team-mates and in the 35th minute, Keane's frustration showed when he was lucky to escape a yellow card for a bad tackle on Kancelskis.

Connolly, finding space a lot more cramped on this occasion, twice failed approaching half time but neither miss quite compared with Houghton's double gaffe just before the break, On the first occasion, he failed to beat the goalkeeper from five yards after being put in the clear by Kenna and then, moments later, he shot wantonly wide when a clearance fell at his feet.

By now, the Lithuanians' earlier enterprise had shrivelled to nothing and the game recommenced at the point where it had left off with the Irish going forward with more passion than poise. Keane's indecision let the visitors off the hook in the 47th minute and then Connolly, sent clear by Quinn's knock down, couldn't control the ball before Gintaras Stauca left his line to make the timely save for Lithuania.

Quinn's looping header off a corner by Staunton, was to be his last threatening gesture before he gave way to Cascarino who was to discover than when danger threatened - and that was quite often - the Lithuanians were invariably capable of dredging an extra body to smother the threat.

This was an exercise we felt with a 100 precedents and as one miss superseded another, we began to fear for our prospects of going to the World Cup finals in France next year.

Lithuania, by contrast were growing in hope with each passing minute and when Connolly fired a meaty 30-yard drive directly at the goalkeeper, we began to suspect the worst.

Even five minutes of extra time, couldn't spark the inspirational touch which might have unlocked the Lithuanian fortress and we knew for sure that the post mortems would be long and painful after that incredible miss by Houghton from virtually beneath the crossbar.

Republic Of Ireland Given, Kenna, Staunton, Keane, Cunningham, Harte, Townsend (D Kelly 86), Houghton, Quinn (Cascarino 60), Connolly, Kennedy (McLoughlin 79). Subs Not Used: Irwin, G Kelly, Breen, Fleming. Booked: Townsend.

Lithuania: Stauce, Zlukas, Kancelskis, Terreskinas, Vainoras, Skerla, R. Zutautas, Mikalajunas, Preiksaitis (Suliauskas 46), Jankauskas (Buitkus 58), Narberkovas, Buitkus (Sulka 84). Subs Not Used: V. Zutautas, Stumbrys, Razanauskas. Booked: R. Zutautas, Kancelskis.

Referee: J Coroado Monteiro (Portugal).