Analysis: There  was much to admire in this Irish performance, yet it was no more than I would have expected from the current squad, according to  Mark Lawrenson

I believe that at home, we're capable of beating most teams, so Russia in a friendly was not especially demanding.

It was intriguing to see the way our visitors remained determined to play at their own pace. Not championship pace, but strictly on the terms which they considered appropriate for the occasion.

We, on the other hand, played the only way we know how. And there's never anything wrong with that: it's what the manager expects. The upshot was that we were treated to a decidedly encouraging Irish effort, particularly from some of the younger players. There was a nice sharpness about them going forward.

Obviously, goalscorer Stephen Reid and Kevin Kilbane, before departing the scene, were quite penetrating down the flanks, while Robbie Keane shook off his problems at Leeds to look sharp up front. But the player who really took my fancy was Damien Duff. Given the problems we have in moulding a productive striking partnership, Duff's form was most encouraging. He showed wonderful skill at coming off defenders.

Prior to the match I said the outcome didn't really matter, and I haven't changed that view. I don't think the performance would have given the manager any special glow, but apart from Duff, he would have come away convinced that Reid and Colin Healy were worth another look. And I suppose all the substitutions we made reflected an impressive strength in depth.

The substitutions made a bit of a farce of the match from a spectator's standpoint, but such is the nature of friendly matches these days. There is a general understanding now that players from high-profile club sides won't play the full match in a friendly.

Roy Keane, who came off near the end, confirmed his status as our only world-class player. His level of consistency for club and country is quite astonishing, so impressive in fact that I doubt if I've ever seen such supremacy in another Irish player.

He also exerts a greater influence over his Irish colleagues than any other player I can remember, greater even than John Giles or Liam Brady. And that's saying something.

If you had a straw poll of all 20 Premiership managers in England as to which player from another team they would want to have in their side on a given Saturday, he would be the choice of 15 of them, at least. So, his value to Ireland is incalculable.

My only worry is that he remains injury-free while Manchester United battle for a further League Championship while remaining in the Champions' League.

Duff and Robbie Keane have emerged as our best striking option and the Blackburn player holds the key for the way in which he can spin, run at defenders and really beat them.

These qualities will be heightened in a World Cup which is almost certain to be played at walking pace. It will be the perfect stage for a player who is somewhat different and unpredictable, even to his team-mates. Duff, who has come of age in an international sense over the last year, can give us that spontaneity.

Meanwhile, Reid has significantly increased our options on the right side of midfield. Mick McCarthy would have been acutely aware of the fact that Kilbane, Gary Kelly and Mark Kennedy have been tried there without any great success. Jason McAteer is obviously the man in possession but I'm confident Reid will challenge him.

There is a directness and pace about his play, and he can get up and down the pitch athletically, which is a must in that position.

Taking an overview, insofar as this was Ireland's first match since qualifying for the World Cup, the first 45 minutes created an appropriate mood of celebration.

I think the squad is now a done deal. Though we have four more matches to play, including Niall Quinn's testimonial, there won't be any surprises for the simple reason that there aren't any more Irish surprise packets out there.

We saw them all last night.

In an interview with Dermot Gilleece