Republic of Ireland 1 Russia 1For long periods on Saturday we had the impression of a candle flame twisting in the wind but not quite going out. Ireland weren't extinguished but there were times when it felt as if the Russians were about to snuff us between thumb and forefinger.

We can dream of Portugal still this morning but if the result alters little about the task facing us in Switzerland next month it changes much about our perception of ourselves. At home on these big occasions we usually rage and fume, cover the pitch with our hustle and bustle. On Saturday we were anaemic and a little passive.

In the absence of Robbie Keane we were reduced to being able to field just one player of unimpeachable creativity.

Damien Duff may be worth £17 million of a Russian's money but to the price of his genius was added a little heartbreak on Saturday.

Duff teased and taunted at times and gave Ireland the lead at the end of a cheeky run and shot after 35 minutes. The goal took a mischievous deflection off the knee of Russia's captain, Victor Onopko, but the goal was the exclamation mark that the line preceding it deserved.

More than Ireland deserved at that point though.

In the cold light of a Saturday afternoon we were exposed as ordinary and workmanlike. To be fair, this side has never trumpeted itself as anything different but watching the elegant confidence with which the recalled Alexander Mostovoi walked through the game it was hard not to notice that we lacked any unpredictability.

Ireland began warily and it took 15 minutes before an aggressive tackle by the hard-working Kevin Kilbane even brought the crowd to its feet.

In that long period before Duff's goal Ireland struggled to get going and never imposed authority on the game. The central midfield partnership of Colin Healy and Matt Holland got through plenty of work but understandably, given his recent career, Healy seemed to tire early on. Holland continued doing the housekeeping but we lacked a rampaging presence, a player who would go pillaging through the Russian half, spreading panic as he went.

Out wide Lee Carsley was himself: hard-working but no Jumping Jack Flash. Kilbane had a fine game in terms of work rate and the nuts and bolts, doing enough to gain the popular vote as man of the match, but even he will be disappointed about the lack of penetrating crosses.

The notion it was going to be one of those days set in early. Shay Given required extensive treatment for a neck injury after 10 minutes and moved gingerly thereafter.

Eight minutes later John O'Shea went to turn on a ball and caught his foot. He fell awkwardly and when he got a kick from Rolan Gusev a few minutes later his afternoon was finished. Lots of grim auguries then and the Russian equaliser sealed the mood.

With 41 minutes gone substitute Alexander Kerzhakov (on for the hamstrung Dmitri Alenichev) brought a fine save out of Given. Mostovoi curled the resulting corner in mischievously. Given came tentatively, found his way blocked and could only parry instead of clear. The Irish defence didn't respond with sirens blaring but rather looked on with interest. Sergey Ignashevich swept the ball in, looking surprised at his good fortune. A defensive shambles of a goal.

It was clear by now Brian Kerr had been right all week when he spoke about the Russians. News of their demise was greatly exaggerated. Thinking wishfully, we had envisioned them arriving 24 hours before the game as a raggle-taggle bunch of feuding stars. Having owned Group 10 early on, they had taken just one point from nine in recent games and lost their coach Valeri Gazzayev after a home debacle with Israel last month.

Their new coach, Georgi Yartsev, did the smart thing and recalled the old guard. Yartsev complained afterwards he had been given very little time to prepare. His players knew the drills though. They played with Dmitri Bulykin as a lone ranger up front, joined in moments of high excitement by Mostovoi. When they had to defend, Alexiy Smertin would drop back to augment the effort.

The fluidity of the Russian formation was simple but effective and they looked all the more impressive for being so physically imposing.

Late last week it had been widely suggested Gary Doherty would accompany Duff up front. It transpired Clinton Morrison was the chosen partner but most of the time he was horsed to the margins by Onopko and Ignashevich. In the second half Doherty was introduced. The physical impression he made was equally negligible.

When the video evidence of Saturday is examined in the Irish camp the home side's inability to get behind the Russian defence will be seen as critical.

Duff's goal came from distance and in an odd sense typified what we lacked. We never put a player one-on-one with the Russian goalkeeper, never drew a snap save, never created a chance that was anything more than half a chance. Remedying that will be Kerr's next challenge.

In the second half Ireland upped the tempo but the Russians, chuffed at having pulled out of the fall in form that had them plummeting through the rankings this past year and pleased with the timing of their equaliser, were never truly threatened. Several Irish set-pieces (usually for fouls on Duff or Kilbane) brought conferences and some elaborate choreography but little trouble for the Russian goalkeeper.

In the aftermath, the Russians were generous about the amount of chances the Irish had created but the better opportunities fell to the visitors. Ignashevich might have had a second on 72 minutes when he headed Gusev's corner just wide and late on a promising Russian break ended only when Carr (not as fast as of yore) found the pace to bundle Kerzhakov off his feet.

Long before the end thoughts were turning to the permutations which Group 10 offers. They are many but they are a distraction from a simple truth. Ireland must win in Switzerland next month and with that in mind the loss of Kenny Cunningham (yellow carded on 67 minutes for a mistimed challenge) may be expensive.

Still this whole campaign had been built on improbability. Every team in the group is flawed. We will travel with equal measures of hope and confidence.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Given; Carr, O'Shea (Harte 26), Cunningham, Breen; Holland, Carsley (Reid 46), Healy, Duff; Morrison (Doherty 73), Kilbane. Subs not used: Colgan, Finnan, Kinsella, Connolly.

RUSSIA: Ovchinnikov; Sennikov, Evseev, Smertin, Alenichev (Aldonin 39); Ignashevich, Onopko, Gusev, Bulykin; Mostovoi, Esipov (Kerzhakov 43). Subs not used: Malafeev, Nizhegorodov, Radimov, Loskov, Sychev.

Referee: L Michel (Slovakia).