FROM THE ARCHIVES THE IRISH TIMES, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16TH, 1995 Rep of Ireland 1 England 0IT LASTED just 27 minutes, but Dublin's first abandoned international game will be forever etched into the memory after a night of raw terror on the stands and terraces of Lansdowne Road.

Scenes more reminiscent of war were everywhere in evidence as bloodied spectators, caught up in waves of violence by a section of the England supporters, were led away to have their wounds treated.

With frightening speed, the trouble spread like a prairie fire and the players, some ashen-faced, were taken off the pitch by Dutch referee Dennis Jol. Even then, one sensed the game would never restart.

Within minutes that section of the pitch immediately beneath the raging mob was strewn with the debris of one of football’s most shameful nights.

The cruel irony was that the stadium, by then a sullen monument to the twisted priorities of our times, had earlier been the scene of some superb entertainment as Ireland, against all expectations, imposed themselves on a talented England team.

The wind howled and the ball traced some curious routes on occasions, but while it lasted it was an occasion to delight the capacity crowd of 46,000 as they watched the men in green disguise the loss of seven established players to take the lead in the 23rd minute.

Those were moments to savour as Steve Staunton, Terry Phelan and John Sheridan combined to rip open the right flank of the visiting defence, and when Sheridan, at the high point of a superb performance, timed the through-pass with the delicacy of a watchmaker, David Kelly was through.

He still had work to do, but the finish was clinical as he worked out his angles and directed the ball past David Seaman.

The goalkeeper got a touch, but given the reprieves he enjoyed in the last meeting of the countries at Wembley four years ago that was perhaps no more than the heavy hand of justice at work.

For the Wolves striker it was the perfect way to celebrate his first start for Ireland in almost a year, and was made all the more welcome by two chances which had earlier gone astray.

He arrived just a split second too early to make contact as Eddie McGoldrick cut the ball back in the ninth minute, and then erred undeniably when another superb ball from Denis Irwin gave him a clear sighting of Seaman’s goal just three minutes later. In a situation demanding clean contact he failed to connect properly just 10 yards out.

But all was forgiven when he swooped to snatch what would have been his eighth goal in a fragmented international career.

Niall Quinn also had chances to write his name into folklore, notably in the 18th minute after Kelly had laid the ball back for him, and shortly afterwards when, unbalanced, he shot wide from Staunton’s cross. England’s scoring opportunities were few, although Matthew Le Tissier, with a glowing reputation in set-piece situations, was disappointed after curling a 20-yard free kick over the bar.

There was relief among the Irish supporters when Irwin, reading the line perfectly, cut out a potentially dangerous cross from Alan Shearer.

But overall the home team had looked the sharper in the frenetic early skirmishing.

Paul McGrath also effected at least one precious tackle, and if Alan Kernaghan had some problems in coping with Le Tissier under the dropping ball, he could feel pleased with his truncated performance.

Overall, however, it was Irwin who contrived to look the classiest player on the pitch, availing of England’s decision to channel the thrust of their attack down the right flank to deliver some idling crosses into the penalty area.

But sadly, we never got to discover how this reshaped team would have coped when England mounted their counter charge.

At times Paul Ince, David Platt and Shearer performed to pedigree, and, no less than the rest of us, they can only have been appalled when the game ended to the sound of screaming spectators and yelping police dogs.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: A Kelly, Irwin, Phelan, Kernaghan, McGrath, McGoldrick, Townsend, D Kelly, Quinn, Sheridan, Staunton.

ENGLAND: Seaman, Barton, Le Saux, Ince, Adams, Pallister, Platt, Beardsley, Shearer, Le Tissier, Anderton.

Referee: D Jol (Holland).

Match abandoned after 27 minutes