Republic of Ireland 1 Bosnia-Herzegovina 0:Shane Long stepped off the bench to remind Giovanni Trapattoni of his finishing skills as the West Brom striker sealed a winning send-off for the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium.

Long was introduced just after the hour mark alongside Jon Walters as Trapattoni changed his forwards, struck a firm header past Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic from a superb Aiden McGeady cross.

McGeady had earlier hit the bar with a shot in an impressive performance after replacing Damien Duff at half-time, while Walters also hit the woodwork from a free header in the box. McGeady’s impressive showing over the 45 minutes earned him the man of the match.

James McClean was the star turn in the first half, and although he was less influential after the break, the Sunderland starlet will benefit from his first start.

McClean had the home crowd off their seats within two minutes of kick-off when he exchanged passes with left back Stephen Ward to get in behind Mensur Mujdza, but central defender Sanel Jahic made a well-timed sliding intervention.

In an open start to the game, striker Vedad Ibisevic fired wildly over after his initial cross had been recycled by Miralem Pjanic at the far post with four minutes gone.

Ireland appealed in vain for a penalty seconds later when Duff went down as he challenged Jahic and Boris Pandza for a high ball, and replays suggested he might have had a case.

Duff would have connected with McClean’s eighth-minute cross at the far post had Senad Lulic not got the merest of touches to it, but the home side enjoyed an escape as play switched swiftly to the other end.

Edin Dzeko drilled the ball across goal where Ibisevic got a toe to it, but could not turn it past Keiren Westwood, and midfielder Haris Medunjanin skied the loose ball high over.

Trapattoni’s men were unfortunate not to be awarded a 13th-minute penalty when Glenn Whelan burst powerfully past Jahic and appeared to be felled by Begovic as he attempted to round him, although not in the opinion of Swiss referee Nikolaj Haenni.

Richard Dunne and Dzeko were having a real battle and the defender twice blocked powerfully-struck shots from the striker in quick succession.

McClean was given another chance to show Trapattoni what he could do with 25 minutes gone when, after Dunne had robbed Dzeko on halfway, Whelan played him into space on the left.

The former Derry City midfielder cut inside the covering Mujdza and rode a challenge before allowing the ball to run into the path of Darron Gibson, but the Everton man scuffed his shot wide.

Paul McShane’s industry won the home side a 28th-minute corner, and although the Bosnians needed several attempts to deal with Duff’s set-piece, they eventually cleared their lines.

Keane kept Begovic on his toes with a smart turn and shot three minutes later with Ireland pressing on a concerted basis.

They went close to taking the lead 12 minutes before the break when Duff, like McClean had done earlier, cut inside from his wing and saw the path to goal open up invitingly.

The midfielder connected well with his left-foot effort, but saw his attempt fly a foot wide of the post.

Trapattoni will have been delighted to see McClean working back deep inside his own half to prevent Mujdza from getting in a 40th-minute cross.

However, although Dunne once again cleared the ball, it soon came back and Westwood was called upon to make the first save of the game from Pjanic’s swerving 30-yarder.

Pjanic found himself defending two minutes later after McClean collected Kevin Doyle’s cross beyond the far post, but the Irishman still managed to get a shot away and Begovic had to make a solid reaction save.

The Stoke man came to the rescue once again in the final minute of the half when he blocked Duff’s close-range toe-poke after he had run on to Keane’s clever flick with Ireland finishing in the ascendancy.

Trapattoni made a double change at the break when he sent on McGeady for Duff and Keith Andrews for Whelan.

Bosnian manager Safet Susic also made two changes with Medunjanin and Elvir Rahimic making way for Damir Vrancic and Miroslav Stevanovic.

However, it was one of the Irish newcomers who very nearly made an instant impact.

Doyle climbed high to head a deep cross down for McGeady, whose right-foot volley flew past Begovic but came back off the post. But it was Pjanic who almost broke the deadlock at the other end with 59 minutes gone, when he once again took aim from outrageous distance.

The midfielder’s 35-yard free-kick looked ambitious, but it prompted Westwood to pull off a fine one-handed save to prevent the ball from nesting in the top corner of his net.

Stevanovic sent a 62nd-minute cross across the face of goal with the visitors rallying once again, but there was no blue shirt in close enough support to capitalise.

Trapattoni had signalled his intention to use all of the seven substitutions allowed, and he decided he had seen enough of first-choice strike-force Keane and Doyle a minute later and sent on Long and Jon Walters in their place. But it was Andrews who was present with a 70th-minute half-chance when the ball fell nicely for him, although he scuffed his effort harmlessly wide.