Ireland's stock still rising

The conditions suggested that somebody upstairs was trying to give the lads a taste of the monsoon season before they head for Japan, while the pitch looked like a collaboration between the IRFU and FAI aimed at showing how a cannier governemnt could have had a stadium and aquatic centre for the price of one.

Republic of Ireland ... 2, US ... 1

The conditions suggested that somebody upstairs was trying to give the lads a taste of the monsoon season before they head for Japan, while the pitch looked like a collaboration between the IRFU and FAI aimed at showing how a cannier governemnt could have had a stadium and aquatic centre for the price of one.

For the rest of us, though, last night's game against the United States merely provided additional evidence of what we already knew - that Mick McCarthy's side remain a fiercely-strong proposition when playing on home turf and neither they nor their opponents will be anybody's pushovers when things hot up a bit in June.

Bruce Arena's team started this game brightly enough and over the course of the game created enough chances to at least get the draw they looked to be heading for until seven minutes from time. Steadily, however, McCarthy's men got the better of the Americans, out-passing them as they did the Danes last month, and causing the sort of defensive problems that every team visiting Lansdowne has come to expect.

Eddie Pope's first-half goal for the visitors - a close-range header scored after the defender had stolen in front of Rory Delap to meet John O'Brien's corner from the left - was a minor blemish on the evening for the hosts. They had not, after all, conceded a goal in Dublin since the Croatian game back in August. If their run of five clean sheets at Lansdowne was at an end, however, they did at least have the significant consolation of continuing a strong run of attacking form that has yielded an average of more than two goals a game in seven outings at home this season.

Last night's first goal came from Mark Kinsella in the sixth minute. The Charlton midfielder, in the area and side-on to Brad Friedel's goal, finished a move he had started with an improvised volley after a cross from Steve Finnan.

Just short of the same time from the end, Gary Doherty, back in an Irish shirt for the first time since coming on as a first-half substitute in Estonia last June, and lurking at the back post, headed a Steve Staunton free past Keller from close range.

Though they didn't add their names to the scoresheet, the Irish strikers could hardly be accused of not carrying their weight. Robbie Keane looked sharper than at any time during the last 12 months, with his speed, agility and willingness to pursue seemingly lost causes creating a constant source of opportunities around him. While Damien Duff was at least partly prevented from exerting the same influence over the contest as he had against the Danes by the determination of Pope and Tony Sanneh to grab a fistful of his shirt at the first hint that the Dubliner was about to take off.

Having given the Republic the lead so early on by scoring his third goal in 27 games for his country, Kinsella might well have had a second before Pope had equalised, the midfielder benefiting from the ingenuity of Keane, who tied Sanneh in knots before slipping in a tempting cross to the near post.

Shay Given's best came early on when he coolly tipped Clint Mathis's 30-yard strike over the bar and the Donegalman was left a little exposed on a couple of occasions over the course of the 90 minutes as defenders - perhaps hindered by surface water that formed great puddles under the West Stand - sometimes failed to perform their duties with the required degree of urgency.

Making his second start for McCarthy, however, Andy O'Brien again performed solidly, while in midfield Colin Healy recovered from a slow start to become one of the game's most influential figures over the closing half hour. His finest moment came seconds after Doherty's arrival when he nutmegged Eddie Lewis and then held off Greg Vanney to get in his cross. A couple of inches lower and Doherty's first international goal would have come nine minutes earlier.

Out wide, Rory Delap worked hard throughout and linked up well with Steve Finnan in the first half, while on the other flank Kevin Kilbane was the picture of industry during his 45 minutes, chasing back endlessly and faring well in his tussle with American skipper Claudio Reyna.

The scale of the changes made by both managers at half-time threatened to destroy the match, but McCarthy will have been pleased enough with the contributions made late on by the likes of Staunton, Steven Reid and Matt Holland.

For Arena, meanwhile, his side battled hard until the end and there were even a couple of half-chances late on to nick another goal. Now, however, like the Russians and Danes before them, they must travel to South Korea having been on the receiving end of an Irish team whose confidence continues to grow with each game.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Given (Newcastle Utd); Finnan (Fulham), O'Brien (Newcastle Utd), Breen (Coventry City), Harte (Leeds Utd); Delap (Southampton), Kinsella (Charlton Athletic), Healy (Celtic/Coventry City), Kilbane (Sunderland); Robbie Keane (Leeds Utd), Duff (Blackburn Rovers). Subs: Holland (Ipswich Town) for Kinsella, Connolly (Wimbledon) for Duff, Cunningham (Wimbledon) for O'Brien, Staunton (Aston Villa) for Harte, Kelly (Leeds Utd) and Reid (Millwall) for Kilbane (all half-time), Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur) for Breen (70 mins), Morrison (Crystal Palace) for Keane (83 mins).

US: Friedel; Sanneh, Pope, Berhalter, Agoos; Reyna, Armas, O'Brien, Stewart; McBride, Mathis. Subs: Keller for Friedel, Vanney for Berhalter, Lewis for Stewart, Moore for McBride, Donovan for O'Brien (all half-time), Wolff for Mathis (65 mins), Hejduk for Reyna (70 mins).

Referee: P Leuba (Switzerland)