A new manager, a new captain, a smattering of new faces, a new formation, a refreshing approach, a new Ireland in the making. Not in Steve Staunton's wildest dreams could he have predicted a start to management like this.
Throughout the week, Staunton repeatedly insisted that a result was not his priority. Performance was paramount to his objectives, not to mention pleasing the fans. He got both, in spades, as the home side set out their stall for the European campaign ahead with a rock solid, enterprising display which thrilled the 44,109 attendance.
Fresh, raw talent, blooded. Strong displays to a man but, perhaps more importantly, an inspired collective performance against a flat Swedish side, many of whom are competing for positions in their World Cup squad for Germany this summer.
The pitch, branded "shocking" during the week by Shay Given owing to last weekend 's Six Nations game, afforded neither side any favours in the opening exchanges. Slick passing was at a premium as the two teams, the visitors in particular, opted for searching balls up field in a bid to beat the uneven, bobbling surface.
Despite that, Ireland made the most of conditions and after a tentative start came into their own. The surface was particularly bad down the flanks but Damien Duff was at his sparkling best nonetheless turning Alexander Ostlund one way and then the next. His teasing crosses had goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson on his toes from an early stage while Stephen Elliott and Kevin Doyle were always ready to pounce on mistakes.
Staunton promised variation and experimentation and he held true to his word. New captain Robbie Keane was deployed in behind Doyle while Elliott provided good assistance when cutting in from the right. Indeed, the trio alternated roles to good effect and, with Duff lending his weight too, they at times had the Swedish defence bamboozled.
Sweden, though, were anything but bystanders and looked menacing when afforded space. Kim Kallstrom orchestrated their better moves from midfield and his target, the Juventus star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, often held up the ball well and in turn looked to either shoot or feed strike-partner Henrik Larsson.
Ibrahimovic's first touch was, more often than not, impressive but his second tended to let him down. On two first half occasions, with space in the Irish box, he let the ball run from him and, both times, he was quickly surrounded. Nevertheless, he tested Given twice as well as teeing up Larsson who fired narrowly over from a promising position.
But the Irish defence coped well with whatever was thrown their way during a free-flowing first half. Richard Dunne and Andy O'Brien formed an extremely solid base at the back while new cap Joey O'Brien was equally as composed although, on occasion, he was found wanting when Christian Wilhelmsson showed a turn of pace.
However, it was in pressing forward that Ireland showed their true worth and, after 36 minutes, it was no surprise when they scored.
Steven Reid and John O'Shea, both of whom shone with robust performances in the centre, broke up numerous Swedish attacks and, from one such move, Duff, the tormentor, was sent free. He showed to go past Ostlund but jinked inside instead and unleashed a fizzing shot from inside the area which deflected off Aston Villa's Olof Mellberg and past Isaksson.
Keane should have extended the lead soon after but after O'Shea set O'Brien free down the right, the Tottenham striker miss-hit the Bolton player's fine cut back. Elliott, too, then thrilled the crowd when his rasping shot, from a tight angle, clipped the bar although Isaksson had scrambled across his line to cover.
Irish pressure was relentless after the break and within two minutes Keane, as he was destined to do in his first game as skipper, bagged the second. Isaksson's goalkick was headed back some 30 yards by Ian Harte and Keane, showing a tremendous burst of pace, raced through the Swedish cover to beat the goalkeeper with a first-time shot down the middle.
Staunton, as he promised he would, made alterations thereafter and introduced newcomers Wayne Henderson and Stephen Ireland and also Graham Kavanagh for Given, Elliott and O'Shea respectively. Accordingly, Ireland reverted to a more familiar formation with Keane pushing on to partner Doyle, while Manchester City starlet Ireland provided clever assistance in an attacking midfield role.
But Sweden, having lost Ibrahimovic to injury late in the first half, appeared devoid of ideas for much of the remainder. Without a holding player up front, they lacked composure in the final third and were consistently thwarted by the home side's impressive defensive unit.
Another wave of Irish substitutes then arrived on the hour. The reshuffle saw Reid move to right back for Joey O'Brien while Kevin Kilbane slotted in in the left pocket for Harte with Liam Miller accepting the vacant spot beside Kavanagh in the centre. It was Miller, though, who lit up the old stadium with a superb goal – his first for Ireland – when, on 70 minutes, having collected from Duff on the half-way line, he fired high and hard past Isaksson from 25 yards.
The home side comfortably closed out the game, although Larsson, the former Celtic legend, did have Henderson scrambling but the striker ultimately fluffed his lines as the Brighton goalkeeper did just enough to keep the clean sheet.
All in all, a night to remember for Staunton, De Gaffer.
Republic of Ireland: Given; J O'Brien, Dunne, A O'Brien, Harte; Reid, O'Shea; Keane; Elliott, Doyle, Duff. Subs: Henderson for Given, Ireland for Elliott, Kavanagh for O'Shea (all 48 mins). Kilbane for J O'Brien, Miller for Harte (both 61mins). Morrison for Doyle (68 mins). Booked: Reid (28 mins).
Sweden: Isaksson; Ostlund, Mellberg, Hansson, Edman, Linderoth, Elmander, Kallstrom, Wilhelmsson, Ibrahimovic, Larsson. Subs: Ibrahimovic for Rosenberg (35 mins), Jonson for Elmander, Svensson for Kallstrom (both 61 mins), D Andersson for Linderoth (70), C Andersson for Ostlund (75), Allback for Larsson (80). Booked: Ostlund (18 mins), C Andersson (87 mins)
Referee: Damien Ledentu (France)
pohehir@irish-times.com
