WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP/Republic of Ireland 2 Ivory Coast 2: It was Independence Day in the United Arab Emirates yesterday, so celebratory fireworks sporadically lit up the skies around the Sheikh Khalifa stadium in Al-Ain last night.

Noisy fireworks they were too, even occasionally managing to drown out the sound of Gerry Smith's heartbeat in the course of a thrilling game. A heartbeat, the Irish manager later admitted, that reached deafening proportions in the course of the Group E fixture.

Could have won, could have lost, in the end Smith proclaimed himself content with the draw, one that leaves both teams on four points, three clear of Mexico and Saudi Arabia who drew 1-1 last night, needing a draw from their final games on Friday (Ireland play Mexico and the Ivory Coast play Saudi Arabia) to be guaranteed a place in the second round. Defeats on Friday could even see both sides progress, with the four best third-place finishers in the six groups going through.

Arouna Kone's 12th-minute penalty, awarded when John Fitzgerald brought down the forward after he had been played through by Antonin Koutouan, completed a dazzling spell from the Africans, whose pace and skill at times bewildered the Irish defence and midfield.

When asked what his target was for his team at these championships Ivory Coast coach Mama Ouattara said last week "simply to win a game", his country having failed to win any of its previous 12 games in five appearances in the finals. That target was reached in Saturday's 2-1 win over Mexico so it may be time for Ouattara to dream a little bigger.

Left-winger Andre Saki, one of only two Ivory Coast-based players in last night's line-up - five play in France, one in Italy, Morocco, Belgium and Holland - gave the right side of the Irish defence a torrid time, with Willo Flood, nominally playing in a free role behind the front two, regularly called upon to drop deep and help out Stephen Kelly, who was struggling to cope with Saki's speed and trickery.

As early as the fourth minute Wayne Henderson was busy, saving a header from Gbailou Kouyo, a defender with Lecce in Italy, from the first corner of the game, with Kelly also making a crucial block on a goalbound effort from Koutouan.

Before the opening goal, though, Stephen Elliott came close to adding to his two goals against Saudi Arabia, volleying, first-time, Eamon Zayed's cross from the right after Zayed was put clear by a superb ball from Flood. The shot, though, flew just wide of the right post.

There were no complaints about the penalty, which Kone stroked to Henderson's left, and there couldn't have been too many complaints either if Ivory Coast had doubled their lead before half-time, such was their dominance, not least in midfield where the imposing Mohamed Cisse had the better of Glenn Whelan and Darren Potter.

It would have been 2-0 only for a fine double-save from Henderson in the 16th minute, when he denied Koutouan and Saki, while John Fitzgerald rescued the goalkeeper eight minutes later, blocking Kone's shot after Henderson had dropped Jean-Jacques Gosso's cross.

Midway through the half, though, Ireland finally began to find their feet, with Kelly and Flood combining well on the right to provide the most promising attacking outlet, Zayed almost equalising after being put through by Potter, his powerful shot brilliantly turned over the bar by Daniel Yeboah.

Whelan created an opening for Elliott in the 28th minute, the Manchester City striker beating the onrushing Yeboah to the ball, only to see his chip cleared off the line by Kouyo, while Stephen Paisley, who replaced Paddy McCarthy in the centre of the defence, went just wide with a header from a 33rd-minute corner.

The Longford Town player found his range, however, in the 36th minute, losing his marker to head home a David Bell free-kick from the left after the faintest of flick-ons from John Fitzgerald.

Level at half-time, then, despite the Ivory Coast's dominance, a superiority they twice almost converted into a second lead soon after the break, Paisley timing his tackle in the box to perfection on Koutouan who was winding up to shoot, Fitzgerald blocking the same player's shot on goal after Ireland had been carved open on the left.

The remainder of the game was a more even affair, with Potter, in particular, finally becoming an influence in midfield, but just when Ireland had worked their way back into the game they conceded a second goal, Koune pouncing on Fitzgerald's failure to clear Saki's ball into the box, and firing past Henderson from a narrow angle on the left.

Game over? Not quite. In an almost exact replica of Ireland's first goal against Saudi Arabia Jonathan Daly, who replaced Zayed in the 73rd minute, nudged the ball into Flood's path on the right and his perfectly-struck low ball into the box was swept home by Elliott, under the advancing Yeboah.

With just 16 minutes to go Ireland might have been content with the draw but when Yeboah was sent-off - for handling the ball outside his area after Jean Kipre, under pressure from Bell, had headed it back to hi - a one-man advantage offered the prospect of more than a point from the game.

It was only in the final minute, though, that Ireland seriously threatened to steal the win, Paisley almost turning home a deflected corner, only to see his effort parried by replacement goalkeeper Drissa Toure.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Henderson (Aston Villa), Kelly (Tottenham), Fitzgerald (Blackburn Rovers), Paisley (Longford Town), Capper (Scarborough, capt), Flood (Manchester City), Potter (Liverpool), Whelan (Manchester City), Bell (Rushden and Diamonds), Elliott (Manchester City), Zayed (Bray Wanderers). Subs: Daly (Stockport County) for Zayed (73 mins), Ward (Kidderminster) for Whelan (81 mins), Kearney (Cork City) for Bell (88 mins).

IVORY COAST: Yeboah, Kipre, Goore, Kouyo, Gosso (capt), Kone, Koutouan, Tohoua, Saki, Cisse, Bamba. Subs: Toure for Saki (78 mins), Doumbia for Tohoua (86 mins).

Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland).