Tallinn job done and dusted

Another case of same old, same old, then. We all know the script by now: before the game you'd have taken it, but, well, by the end you were left thinking Mick McCarthy's Republic of Ireland team could have done more to improve their chances of coming out on top of this World Cup Group Two qualifying group - particularly after Portugal hit six against Cyprus last night.

Crucially, though, it is the Republic rather than Portugal or Holland who will sit on top of the group from now until September 1st. To maintain their position as group leaders, the Irish beat a young, enthusiastic but ultimately limited Estonian side by two goals on a desperately poor surface in a ground that is still almost as much building site as football stadium.

It was the Republic's 11th game unbeaten away from home and they defended well enough to keep a clean sheet.

If there was a downside, though, it was that just as in Dublin, where the score was the same, they should have won the game by more and boosted their goal difference. As it was, both Ireland goals came during the opening period, with first Richard Dunne and then Matt Holland beating Mart Poom's stand-in Martin Kaalma. Between the goals and after, there was a steady stream of opportunities to add to the tally, with Mark Kinsella, Damien Duff and Kevin Kilbane going closest.

The defender's goal - his third in 10 internationals - was no more than a turn in, but he coolly did all that was required after Steve Staunton's eighth-minute corner had been flicked on by Niall Quinn and turned back low into the six-yard box by Ian Harte. As the Estonian defence struggled to cope with the pressure they were under between their occasional counter-attacks, it seemed they would concede more.

Even before the game, though, McCarthy had clearly been troubled as to where the goals might come from. After Holland's inclusion for the suspended Roy Keane, Duff was McCarthy's second change to the side that started against Portugal on Saturday. The Blackburn winger's sharpness then and in training over the past 10 days earned him, as expected, his 20th cap. He started up front, rather than on the right, where he filled in for Robbie Keane as a substitute on Saturday.

Goalscoring has not generally been Duff's strong suit, but when he got in amongst the Estonian defence he looked capable of finding the net, particularly in the 17th minute when, twice in a matter of seconds, Kaalma had to react quickly to keep out his shots.

Duff's presence was still felt more out on the wings during those opening stages, with the young Dubliner determined to get involved at every opportunity, a policy which, even if it had the effect of leaving Niall Quinn stranded, did produce a couple of troublesome crosses.

Quinn, as it turned out, lasted just 36 minutes, an awkward landing after a clash with Andrei Stepanov causing the Sunderland striker to injure his suspect back. He struggled on for another 15 minutes or so before being replaced by Gary Doherty.

Doherty took the field just as his teammates were emerging from their leanest spell of the 90 minutes. Having started so brightly, the Irish lost their way a little as the game edged towards the half-hour mark and the home side, who showed that they could finish at the weekend, came within inches of scoring on a couple of occasions.

The closest call came just after Duff and Kilbane had both gone close to extending their side's lead. The move started with a break down the right by Kert Haavistu, but Dunne did well to get ahead of Indrek Zelinski and knock the ball behind for a corner. From the kick, Raio Piiroja forced a fine flying stop from Given and from the ensuing corner, Jevgeni Novikov eventually sent a 25-yard shot whistling just wide of the left-hand angle. Marko Kristal might have done better with his shot at the Irish goal five minutes later, but by then the defence appeared to have regained their hold on the situation and Given went untroubled for the rest of the half.

As with Saturday's strike from Roy Keane, Ireland's second started from a Kelly throw on the right. Carr got forward to play a part and after Harte's initial attempted low drive had been blocked, Matt Holland followed up with a sweet strike that stayed low to the ground as it sped to the bottom left corner.

That was more or less it for the locals, who battled on but never again looked like a side capable of causing an upset. A few years ago they might have collapsed during the second period. Yesterday they kept their heads up but were lucky more than once during a disappointing second period. And never more so than 17 minutes from time when Doherty knocked a Kelly cross nicely into the path of Kilbane, whose volley was badly off target from just a few yards out.

Late on, during a brief but hectic resurgence by the locals, Given saved well at his near post from Dimitri Ustritski, before Sergei Terehhov badly fluffed a follow up.

But unlike Saturday there were to be no heroics or hard-luck stories from the Estonians. They were well beaten and so their hopes of having an influence on how this Group Two qualification race plays out were all but ended.

Match Statistics

ESTONIA: Kaalma; Savuauk, Stepanov, Piiroja, Rooba; Haavistu, Kristal, Reim, Novikov, Oper; Zelinski. Subs: Terehhov for Haavistu (49 mins), Ustritski for Novikov (72 mins), Allas for Rooba (69 mins). Subs Not Used: Kiseljov, Alonen, Anniste, Meelis Rooba. Booked: Kristal.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Given (Newcastle United); Carr (Tottenham Hotspur), Dunne (Manchester City), Staunton (Aston Villa), Harte (Leeds United); Kelly (Leeds United), Kinsella (Charlton Athletic), Holland (Ipswich Town), Kilbane (Sunderland); Quinn (Sunderland), Duff (Blackburn Rovers). Subs: Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur) for Quinn (36 mins), O'Brien (Newcastle Utd) for Duff (88 mins). Subs Not Used: Robbie Keane (Leeds United), Connolly (Feyenoord), McAteer (Blackburn), Finnan (Fulham), Alan Kelly (Blackburn). Goals: Dunne 9, Holland 39.

Referee: M Salomir (Romania).