Managers' reaction: A chill November night. Brian Kerr wore a sober Crombie and there was less of the forced singalong jollity than fans have been asked to stomach. Milo got booed, but the red card protest against his fellow panjandrums never materialised. It was said that the red cards had been confiscated by the boys in blue at the gate and if it was anyone but the FAI you'd be shouting about a conspiracy. The thing about conspiracies is that they need organisation.

The football was appropriate to the downbeat atmosphere. A Robbie Keane goal created by Damien Duff was enough to put a little distance between the home side and the criminally unadventurous Croatians, who did just about enough running to keep themselves warm.

Keane and his partner in crime El Duff did enough to merit a few more goals between them, but a few wrong options and a few wayward touches kept it to one. We have come to think of Duff and Keane as established stars by now, and our attention is continually diverted from their ability and towards the next batch of wonderkids.

Liam Miller was quietly efficient, and as the game grew so did his confidence. Stephen Elliot struggled at times to get into the rhythm of the match, but a snap through-ball to Keane in the first half would have been the best moment of the game had Duff not been playing.

Of Aiden McGeady we saw only three minutes. Still, the welcome afforded him was warm enough to suggest that in future stand-offs with the Government the FAI would be wise to offer his presence in starting line-ups as part of any deal.

Predictably, Brian Kerr was happy with his lot. Another win and a little more confidence in the bank. Why not? The press conference was light, post-friendly fare.

Well, good result? Impressions?

"Aw, ask me a question will ya?"

Okay, what did you think?

"Ye can do better. Come on, be specific?"

Are you happy?

"I'm very happy with it. We could have won more convincingly, but I'm happy with the performance and I was more than happy with the team as a whole, given the conditions. They had their strongest team out. We were a fair bit short. I thought we did well."

Thirteen games this year and the impression of a team growing all the time. Time for a cigar? Not quite.

"I'm more worried about my flight at 6:40 in the morning, but yes, 2004 has been a good year. Particularly given the sort of opposition we have played. Both home and away. The fellas worked really hard. No matter what team we put out they were competitive and hard to beat. The staff worked very hard. We have a decent squad now."

It was suggested that it must gladden a manager's heart to see established players giving so much in a friendly. Damien Duff for example.

"Damien? I'd be disappointed if anyone didn't feel like that playing for Ireland. It's special. The same with Robbie. He's disappointed if he can't play. He'll fly across to see us if he can't play. You can see by his performance how much it means. That's how it should be."

And the new kids. Stephen Elliot, in particular, and that slim guy who looks a bit like Richard Dunne?

"I think Stephen adapted very well. It was tough in the first 20 minutes, he struggled to get it down and past. It was the smallest forward line we've ever put out and he was the smallest of them.

"As it went on he used it well. He showed off the ball, his touch was good. In the first half he was further out than we would like to have him, but it was important that we tried that. He's played there at underage and he knows the responsibilities.

"Richard did well. He made a mistake in the first half but he got away with it. He rescued it in the second. Very steady, made a great goalline save. Decisive tackles. It would have been harsh if they scored. You can see his condition. It's obvious he's in great shape."

Did anyone stake a realistic claim?

"Staking a claim means players doing the best they possibly can. I've talked often enough about having a squad of adaptable players who understand the roles. If we lose a few through injuries or suspensions, I'm hoping we can deal with that without it being critical. We're getting to that stage."

And the tactical stuff. Last night was a throwback to a familiar Kerr pattern. Many teams have tripped on this Irish formation.

"Playing 4-3-3 was something I had wanted to do for a good while. We hadn't got the chance or the personnel. I felt this was the right one to give it a go in. Tonight we adapted. Six of them tonight played in the underage teams where we used that frequently. We played teams that were superior and won the games because the system was good."

He flies out this morning to see Cyprus and Israel. He expects Cyprus to lose but would like them to win, given that Israel seem destined for the shake-up.

Ireland's spring visit to Tel Aviv seems a long way away right now. Brian Kerr kept the engine turning over last night. It sounded smooth and purring. Not much more could be asked.