Kennedy shows the way with early strikes

SAME opponents, same result but this was an even more mature performance by Ian Evans' team. Amid a surreal setting in the hills of Kavardarci, penned in by an undulating red wall, like a scene from Chariots of Fire, the boys in fluorescent orange were as dominant as they were incongruous.

The manager's bullishness about this team's qualification prospects for the UEFA Under-21 finals looked well-founded indeed. Admittedly, they weren't up against much in this relatively lightweight and toothless Macedonian team.

Nonetheless, Romania were limited to a 1-0 win on this soil and when able to field a side as strong as this one then at last we might have something to cheer about at this previously impoverished level.

Something well worth watching too. It was a pleasant change to behold an Irish under-21 side utilising superior technique as well as strength to impose themselves over continental opposition rather than a form of percentage football that belonged in the watching paint-dry category.

Save for one early slip by David Worrell, excusable in the conditions, which forced Brendan Murphy into his one save of note the back three looked comfortable.

Stephen Carr looked the very good right wing-back he is, while Kevin Kilbaine was motoring toward the end and whipping in good crosses. The composed Gareth Farrelly, a good footballer, was the pick of a dominant midfield three, switching to the centre in the second-half before being rewarded for a huge work-rate with the final goal.

What's more, this was despite modifying and varying their approach at the last minute due to a dead pudding of a pitch riddled with puddles along the touchline by three days of unseasonal rain in this sleepy-looking grey town 90 kilometres south of Skopje.

The Macedonians attempted to play a similarly progressive 3-5-2 system, but passed poorly and generally pushed too far forward. While catching the Irish offside 11 times their squareness and possibly a benevolent linesman left them easy prey to the gifted Mark Kennedy in particular, who once again scored twice against the Macedonians.

His brace effectively killed the match before half-time. Switching the Liverpool 20-year-old from midfield to attack gave the Irish much more of a cutting edge than had been the case in the slightly punchless if unlucky 1-0 home defeat to Iceland last November.

Perversely, he still seemed to attract most of the post-match criticism from some of the small Irish contingent. Yet four times he broke clear of the Macedonian defence in the first 34 minutes, seeing one cross cut out before having a shot cleared off the line after rounding the keeper and then scoring twice. What more do they want?

True, only some over elaboration denied him the hat-trick that seemed certain.

Maybe he's being judged by his price tag of £2 million. So he hasn't broken through at Liverpool yet. He will do, if not there then somewhere else. Kennedy was the game's true class act, almost looking a man amongst boys.

Having twice given notice of his threat, Kennedy again slipped through the inside right channel when played in by Carr, this time cutting inside one defender before beating Aleksandar Ristovski by his near post.

With the Irish keeping the ball and silencing the crowd, Kennedy added another after 34 minutes. Quinn's good first-time ball again released him through the inside right channel, and this time Kennedy went wide of the keeper before sliding the ball in from a tight angle with his weaker right foot past two recovering defenders.

The introduction of Rory Delap for an out-of-touch Dominic Foley gave the Irish additional firepower, as emphasised when the former outsprinted and outmuscled Igor Dzuzelov to Kevin Maher's long ball before converting a difficult, sliding lob over the advancing Ristovski.

Another pleasing feature was the swiftness of the counterattacks. With unfortunate precision, Igor Momirovski's under-hit corners continually picked out Kilbaine at the near post, his 73rd minute clearance reaching the isolated Kennedy. The marker naively backed oft, enabling Kennedy to turn and spray a crossfield pass to the accomplished Stephen Finnan. He played in Delap, whose cross was bundled home by Farrelly.

"I'm happy with the way things are going," said Evans, knowing that the acid test would come against Romania, not to mention the revenge mission in Iceland. But with the under-15s, 18s and 19s also enjoying noticeable upturns, Evans was moved to comment: "I find it hard to believe that people thought that there wasn't a next generation coming through. They definitely are there. It's just a matter of getting them together.