While everyone walked away from Lansdowne Road warmed by a sweet result and Robbie Keane's infectious exuberance, it all has to be tempered by the reality that this was a blustery February friendly against a team with one eye on the summer.

Bottom line for Ireland is that for all the positive aspects of last night's performance, we are still going to have to travel to the hotbeds of Amsterdam and Lisbon and force results there. With that in mind, it is still apparent that we will in essence be competing for second place in our World Cup qualifying group.

I still harbour serious worries about where we are going to pick up the points on our away games. While our defence looks reasonably secure at home, it rarely looks watertight and is particularly susceptible when hit on the break, as the Czech's illustrated last night.

The Portuguese and Dutch defenders are traditionally wonderful exponents of the counter-attacking game and the gaps we still leave have to be shorn up.

It was a tough enough opening night for Sunderland's Paul Butler. I believe that the second Czech goal was attributable to exemplary attacking play as opposed to any glaring defensive error - Karel Poborsky's approach and vision made the goal and the big centre-forward, Jan Koller, simply did his job.

The first goal, which I think stunned the Irish team for a few minutes, was just one of those moments; the Irish defence were caught flatfooted and Koller was there to finish the knock on.

Ultimately, we managed to get back on level terms through two Czech errors. Mark Kennedy delivered a nice cross for Niall Quinn to leap onto but the Czechs made a meal of it really and Karel Rada, who won't remember last night too fondly, appeared to get the last touch.

Quinn will have to wait for his 20th international goal.

Ian Harte's goal arrived at an opportune time in the sense that we had been quite creative on the attacking front but again, it originated in astonishingly flaky Czech defending. There seemed to be a complete breakdown in communication between goalkeeper Ladislave Maier and the central defenders.

Harte seemed to be almost taken aback by the amount of time he had to tap the ball into a gaping net.

The timing of that score, just on the verge of half-time, seemed to wind the Czechs and their appetite for the action paled as the second half wore on. Ten Irish corners just about reflects the abundance of possession we enjoyed. Vladimir Smicer, who had been worrisome in the opening stages of the match was withdrawn and the interest of the likes of Pavel Nedved and Poborksky waned visibly.

I was ultimately a little bit disappointed by the Czechs and don't foresee them repeating their 1996 Euro adventures. All the flair is still there and they remain technically breathtaking - fine touches, pinpoint passing - but they are going to be asked some serious questions defensively.

Petr Gabriel put in a few uncompromising challenges but Quinn overshadowed Rada and Nedved and Tomus Repka also looked uncertain at times.

It was reassuring for both Jason McAteer and Phil Babb to see some second half action and at times both showed touches of the flair that in previous years established them as virtual certainties for the Irish first 11. I don't think it is inconceivable that McAteer could play himself back into favour; even abroad, Mick McCarthy will probably go with one wide player. Babb, though, like Butler, will probably have to content himself with a covering role. I'd imagine that for Mick McCarthy, Gary Breen remains the main contender to play alongside the redoubtable Kenny Cunningham.

So what have we learned? Little that is new really. We remain hard to beat at home, have a rising star in Robbie Keane and fight to overcome setbacks. We cause problems at home and will do so now for even the best international sides.

It's our worth on foreign grounds. That's what will decide our fate.

Mark Lawrenson (In an interview with Keith Duggan)