September 2nd, 2000

Holland - 2 (Talan 71, van Bronckhorst 84), Rep of Ireland - 2 (Robbie Keane 21, McAteer 65)

Remarkably, the Irish trudged off the pitch at the Amsterdam Arena disappointed - but, then, they were just six minutes from collecting three points.

Keane headed home after 21 minutes, following a superb move down the right involving Stephen Carr and Jason McAteer, and McAteer made it 2-0 from 25 yards.

Richard Dunne capped a fine game by denying Patrick Kluivert an injury-time winner.

REP OF IRELAND: A Kelly; Carr, Breen, Dunne, Harte; McAteer (G Kelly 74), Roy Keane, Kinsella, Kilbane (Staunton 78); Robbie Keane, Quinn (Connolly 72).

October 7th, 2000

Portugal - 1 (Conceicao 57), Republic of Ireland - 1 (Holland 72)

A spectacular, 25-yard strike from Matt Holland, a half-time substitute for Niall Quinn, gave the Republic a point from a game which Portugal largely controlled.

Roy Keane, Mark Kinsella and, again, Richard Dunne held firm, though, as the Euro 2000 semi-finalists sought to extend the lead given to them when Sergio Conceicao cut inside Ian Harte and fired low in to left corner.

REP OF IRELAND: Kelly; Carr, Breen, Dunne, Harte; McAteer (Duff 69), Roy Keane, Kinsella, Kilbane; Robbie Keane (Finnan 84), Quinn (Holland half-time). Booked: Robbie Keane, Jason McAteer, Roy Keane.

October 11th, 2000

Rep of Ireland - 2 (Kinsella 25, Dunne 50), Estonia - 0

A fine performance but one that might have yielded more goals, so many chances did the Republic create. As it was they had to settle for just the two. The opening goal was Mark Kinsella's first in 19 international appearances (set up by Niall Quinn's perfect lay-off), while the second came from Richard Dunne six minutes after the break when he drilled the ball past Mart Poom following a corner on the left from Ian Harte.

REP OF IRELAND: A Kelly; Carr, Breen, Dunne, Harte; McAteer (Duff 46), Kinsella, Roy Keane, Kilbane (Foley 87); Robbie Keane (Finnan 87), N Quinn.

March 24, 2001

Cyprus - 0, Rep of Ireland - 4 (Roy Keane (2) 33, 89, Harte pen 43, Kelly 80)

A comfortable win, but a less than comfortable day's work, with the Cypriots proving pluckier than predicted. Roy Keane settled nerves in the 33rd minute, volleying home Gary Kelly's chip from the right, before Ian Harte converted a penalty after Kevin Kilbane was brought down in the box.

Kelly made it 3-0 when his 30-yard drive deflected off a defender, before Roy Keane's superb solo on his 50th appearance for Ireland.

REP OF IRELAND: Given; Kelly, Breen, Cunningham, Harte; McAteer (Holland 78), Kinsella, Roy Keane, Kilbane (Duff 83); Robbie Keane (Doherty 90), Connolly. Booked: Cunningham.

March 28th, 2001

Andorra - 0, Rep of Ireland - 3 (Harte pen 33, Kilbane 76, Holland 80)

Another business-like performance when poor finishing again made the margin of victory narrower than it should have been.

Ian Harte finally broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute from the penalty spot after Roy Keane was tripped by the Andorran goalkeeper, but it was only in the final 15 minutes that Kevin Kilbane and Matt Holland gave the scoreline an air of respectability.

REP OF IRELAND: Given; Kelly, Breen, Cunningham, Harte; Duff, Roy Keane, Holland, Kilbane (Finnan 84); Robbie Keane, Connolly (Doherty 26).

April 25th, 2001

Rep of Ireland - 3 (Kilbane 33, Kinsella 36, Breen 73), Andorra - 1 (Llima 31)

Much to the crowd's consternation, Ildefons Lima was first on the score sheet, heading past Shay Given from a 31st-minute corner.

The Republic responded by scoring twice in the next five minutes. Kevin Kilbane slipped Gary Doherty's lay-off past the Andorran goalkeeper before Mark Kinsella drove in the rebound from Doherty's header which hit the crossbar. Stand-in skipper Gary Breen got the last from close range.

REP OF IRELAND: Given; Gary Kelly, Breen (Staunton 85), Dunne, Harte; Kennedy (Carr 66), Kinsella (Finnan 79), Holland, Kilbane; Connolly, Doherty. Booked: Kinsella.

June 4th, 2001

Rep of Ireland - 1 (Roy Keane 65), Portugal - 1 (Figo 79)

Comprehensively outplayed, it was a point gained, rather than two lost. But if Luis Figo was expected to be the star of the show, he was left in the shadows by Keane. Having denied Figo a near certain goal with the most timely of tackles, Keane gave the Republic the lead after controlling a quickly-taken Gary Kelly throw on the right.

Portugal got a deserved equaliser minute when Figo stole in at the back post to head past Given.

REP OF IRELAND: Given; Carr, Dunne, Staunton, Harte; Kelly, Roy Keane, Kinsella (Doherty 80), Kilbane; Quinn (Holland 75), Robbie Keane (Duff 60). Booked: Dunne, Roy Keane.

June 6th, 2001

Estonia - 0, Rep of Ireland - 2 (Dunne 9, Holland 39)

In the absence of a suspended Roy Keane, the Republic picked up another three points on their travels, but, again, missed a chance of reducing Portugal's advantage in the goal difference column.

Both goals came in the first half, the first from Richard Dunne in the ninth minute, the second from Matt Holland, whose crisp strike from the edge of the box flew in to the bottom left corner.

REP OF IRELAND: Given; Carr, Dunne, Staunton, Harte; Kelly, Kinsella, Holland, Kilbane; Quinn (Doherty 36), Duff (O'Brien 88). Sent off: Kelly (two yellow cards).

September 1st, 2001

Rep of Ireland - 1 (McAteer 67), Holland - 0

One of the great days and one of the greatest results, played in an atmosphere that rivalled anything Lansdowne Road produced in the Jack Charlton era. Patrick Kluivert, Boudewijn Zenden and Ruud van Nistelrooy could all have given the Dutch an early lead in a match they had to win and one they dominated, but their failure to take their chances, allied to Jason McAteer's winner, all but ended their World Cup qualifying hopes.

REP OF IRELAND: Given; Kelly, Dunne, Staunton, Harte; McAteer (O'Brien 93), Holland, Roy Keane, Kilbane; Robbie Keane (Finnan 59), Duff (Quinn 88). Sent off: Kelly.

October 6th, 2001

Rep of Ireland - 4 (Harte 3, Quinn 11, Connolly 63, Roy Keane 68), Cyprus - 0

The runners-up spot in the group was secured on a night that saw Portugal clinch their qualification with a home victory over Estonia. Niall Quinn, on his 35th birthday, finally broke the Irish goalscoring record. Previously, Ian Harte curled a free-kick into the top corner from 20 yards. David Connolly made it 3-0, and Roy Keane completed the group phase of the campaign with a strike from just outside the area.

REP OF IRELAND: Given; Finnan, Breen, Staunton, Harte; Kennedy (Carsley 64), Keane, Holland, Kilbane (McPhail 84); Quinn (Morrison 68), Connolly.

November 10th, 2001

Rep of Ireland - 2 (Harte pen 45, Robbie Keane 50), Iran - 0

The consensus? Could have been better, might have been worse. Twice Shay Given denied the Iranians a precious away goal, saving from Ali Karimi on both occasions early in the second half. A frustrating first half ended with Ian Harte converting a penalty awarded after Jason McAteer was taken down, and Robbie Keane made it 2-0 when he volleyed home following a corner on the left. No goals conceded, though. Job half done.

REP OF IRELAND: Given; Finnan, Breen, Staunton (Cunningham 76), Harte; McAteer (Kelly 84), Roy Keane, Holland, Kilbane; Quinn, Robbie Keane. Booked: Quinn.

November 15th, 2001

Iran - 1 (Dinohammadi 90), Rep of Ireland - 0

A magnificent campaign climaxed in Tehran with a disciplined and composed performance. Iran upped the tempo in the early stages of the second half but, again, were denied by Shay Given who made a fine double save 10 minutes after break and another midway through the half. Dinohammadi finally scored in added time, leading to the longest 60 seconds in Irish footballing history - but they made it.

REP OF IRELAND: Given; Finnan, Breen, Staunton, Harte; McAteer, Kinsella, Holland, Kilbane (Kelly 81); Connolly, Robbie Keane (Morrison 75). Booked: Keane.