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Kerr suffers first home loss at hands of Italy

Thursday 18th August 2005, 1:02 am

Damien Duff and Gennaro Gattuso battle for the ball.

Photo by Tom Carey.

Italy secured a well deserved 2-1 win over Brian Kerr's Ireland at Lansdowne Road tonight. All three goals came in a twenty minute spell in the first half. The result hands the Irish manager his first home loss.
Although Marcello Lippi's team started brighter and had an off target effort in the first minute, Ireland matched them for a few minutes.

Andy Reid did brilliantly to dispossess Allesandro Del Piero in his own half and forced a save from Flavio Roma after a powerful run. The Italian keeper was in action again moments later as he clawed at Damien Duff's cross, just doing enough to drag the ball out of Kevin Kilbane's path.

Andrea Pirlo, scorer of Italy's opening goal gets away from Kevin Kilbane.

Photo by Tom Carey.

The visitors were threatening at the other end. Gennaro Gattuso fired well over but Shay Given had to be at his best to save from Christian Vieri.

He did all he could but the Italians went ahead in the 11th minute. After a stunning goal-line save, the loose ball wasn't dealt with and Andrea Pirlo drilled home.

A dangerous shot across the face of Given's goal showed everyone that Italy wouldn't sit and defend a 1-0 lead. Kilbane had a shot saved as Ireland searched for an equaliser but aside from trickery of Duff and Andy Reid, the Irish side's performance was very flat.

Clinton Morrison was his usual battling self but it's unlikely he'll have done enough in this game to attract a new employer. He thought he was in midway through the half but the linesman had his flag up.

Andy O'Brien keeps tabs on Christian Vieri.

Photo by Tom Carey.

Vieri looked to have put Ireland 2-0 down when his almost perfect volley beat Given but rebounded back from the crossbar. It was 2-0 just sixty seconds later, Alberto Gilardino clipped the ball past Given at the second attempt as the keeper was again left exposed by weak defending.

A further sixty seconds on and Ireland were back in it. Cristian Zaccardo didn't do well with Morrison's cross and only pushed it into the path of Andy Reid. The Spurs midfielder drilled home a low shot and the gap was back down to one.

Matt Holland looked a little off the pace but was still holding his own against star studded opposition. He was unfortunate though to get completely clobbered by Gattuso in an aerial battle with the Italian picking up a booking. Holland didn't recover and was replaced before half-time. The change in itself was bizarre as Ian Harte replaced the injured midfielder while John O'Shea moved into midfield in a re-jig.

A muted response as Andy Reid gets a goal back for Ireland.

Photo by Tom Carey.

Harte exerted some influence before the break as his deflected shot forced a save from Roma. Just before the break a good run from Harte saw him lay the ball off to Andy Reid but again the keeper was alert.

Lippi seemed interested in his half-time changes than a team-talk, spending most of the half-time break on the pitch talking to his replacements. He would make four alterations at the break with Brian Kerr just making one, sending Andy O'Brien on for Richard Dunne, who is visibly lacking in fitness.

The second half was mainly frustrating for Ireland as they were forced to work the ball very carefully to get anything. Given still had to be alert as the visitors broke more than once. A diving punch to a cross in a crowded area was his highlight in a man-of-the-match performance.

Kilbane doesn't look the same player he was last season and he shot well over when in. Andy Reid also failed to find the target as Ireland were mostly restricted to shots from distance.

Stephen Reid heads away under pressure from Gennaro Gattuso.

Photo by Tom Carey.

Vicenzo Iaquinto fired wide on a couple of occasions as Italy looked for a clinching third.

Duff had the crowd oohing and aahing with a dangerous cross-shot but there was again no-one there to apply pressure. Morrison found the side netting as the game entered the final fifteen minutes and lively substitute Stephen Elliott did the same but also caused the Italian defence a number of problems when trying to wriggle free in the area.

Elliott came agonizingly close to a late leveller when Roma just touched his shot wide. Morrison slotted home after some brilliant work in the box in injury time. Unfortunately he had handled on his way to goal and the draw saving goal was ruled out.

Andy Reid gets back to defend under pressure from Amio Diana.

Photo by Tom Carey.

The result and the performance will do little for morale ahead of next month's World Cup qualifier against France but hopefully there is enough time to build on fitness while a loss is much more acceptable in a friendly than the make or break game in early September.

Ireland : Given, Finnan, O'Shea, Cunningham, Dunne, Holland, Kilbane, Duff, S Reid, A Reid, Morrison.
subs : Harte for Holand 39, O'Brien for Dunne 46, Carr for Finnan 58, Elliott for A Reid 73, Miller for O'Shea 77.
Italy : Roma, Zaccardo, Nesta, Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Gattuso, Pirlo, Di Rossi, Vieri, Gilardino, Del Piero.
subs : Diana for Del Piero 46, Grosso for Di Rossi 46, Iaquinta for Gilardino, Materazzi for Nesta 46, Barzagli for Cannavaro 63, Barone for Pirlo 76.