Ireland calls on fans to deliver

Stephen Ireland is hoping fan power will prove decisive when the Republic of Ireland attempt to blow away the air of negativity that continues to surround them.

The Republic face Slovakia at Croke Park tomorrow looking for a fourth successive victory in Group D that will keep them firmly in the qualification picture for the European Championship finals.

While the nine points from the last three games have been crucial, and kept boss Steve Staunton in a job, the performances have been far from enthralling.

The supporters have yet to be convinced by Staunton, underlined by a relatively subdued atmosphere throughout Saturday's 1-0 win over Wales, despite 70,000 Irish supporters in Croke Park.

Their apathy was alarmingly underlined on Sunday ahead of Bernard Dunne's successful defence of his European super bantamweight title in front of his home crowd in Dublin.

A number of squad players attended the fight and, following an introduction to the 8,000-strong audience at the Point Depot, there were boos.

Ireland, who has scored match-winning goals in his last two games and has hit three in his last three appearances, is looking to the fans to give the players the lift they need against Slovakia.

'I think we're in a good position, and very much in the running [for qualification],' said the Manchester City midfielder.

'We go into tomorrow's game on the same number of points as the Czech Republic, as Germany's win over them on Saturday went in our favour.

'If you'd given us this opportunity to catch the Czech Republic a few months ago, of course we would have grabbed it.

'Hopefully, people will now get behind us a bit more and push us on.

'The backing from the fans at Croke Park will be a major weapon for us.

'It's a great stadium with a great atmosphere and, with the fans behind us, it will help us raise our game an awful lot.

'It's not our home territory yet, but getting the first win there will at least settle us down.'

Slovakia, 14 places above Ireland in the FIFA world rankings at 37, are currently a point behind the Republic in the Group D table but have played a game less.

It is a game Staunton's side cannot afford to lose against a team who have shown what they are capable of following a 5-1 demolition of Wales earlier in the campaign.

'We have to be wary of them and give them the respect they deserve because they're playing well,' added 20-year-old Ireland, who looks set to play after shaking off a thigh injury.

'But we need to concentrate on our game rather than theirs, and go into it doing what we're good at, and taking the game to them.'