The battle of Bari has finished in a 1-1 draw as Robbie Keane's 87th minute equaliser keeps Ireland in with a great chance of winning Group Eight and qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
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93.00 FULL TIME It's all over in Bari and Ireland have grafted a well-earned point to stay in touch at the top of the table.
92.25 - Folan flick to Keane with a chance to snatch the win but Keane volleys over the bar.
91.05 - Canavarro hacks S Hunt down - free into box but cleared even though Folan hauled to the ground.
90.00 - Injury time as Irish corner almost deflects into the net. Ireland having a right lash at this.
88.20 - Final sub for Italy Quagliarella for Iaquinta. Richard Dunne get the MOTM award - thought it was a cert for Canavarro but must be Irish recipient I reckon.
86.20 - GOAL - Robbie Keane latches onto a Folan flick and smashes it past Buffon. Can the irsih go on to win this or has the equaliser come a few minutes too early...
85.30 - Canavarro halts play as he has a dodgy ankle - wasting time it looks like.
83.10 - Ireland break, Keane does well and lays it off to Kilbane who smashes it with the left but Buffon gets strong hands to tip it over.
82.00 - Iaquinta breaks down right and crosses. McShane miskicks and ball trickles wide for goal kick.
81.30 - Noel Hunt skips past Grosso and whips ball into back post - out for a corner. Italy deal with it as Gibson can't seem to lift the ball off the ground.
79.00 Whelan gets onto loose ball on edge of area and gets milled by the centre-half - ref decides to play on as Ireland had ball but cross easily cleared. No yellow either. Shoddy from the ref all round there.
78.35 - Yellow card for De Rossi - came through Noel Hunt to win ball. Free in for Ireland. De Rossi out of next game.
76.15 - Folan shot deflected for corner. First corner cleared for another and then second one nearly comes to something but offside as the ball came back into the box.
75.50 Italy free into box misses everyone and Iaquinta could have got onto it if he had been paying attention.
73.45 - McShane and Iaquinta tussel and the ginger one gets a yellow for his troubles - Irish players have to push him away before he gets into more trouble.
73.24 - Gibson flicks ball into Noel Hunt. But cleared once again.
72.10 - Ireland putting sustained pressure down the left. A couple of good crosses into box but cleared.
68.50 Noel Hunt snap shot from distance - deflected for another corner that is easily dealt with by Buffon.
68.10 - George confirms that the O'Leary brothers is indeed the answer. Beglin now remembers that he played with Pearse O'Leary at Shamrock Rovers - that's twicwe I've got the Hoops into this matchtracker - twenty odd minutes to go...
67.00 - Irish try another cheeky free kick but Stephen Hunt's free deflects for a corner that is cleared.
66.40 - Hunty with the hair gets a free, eventually as he snakes past Grosso. Yello for Grosso - harsh, methinks.
62.09 - Former Shamrock Rovers striker Noel Hunt onto the pitch for Kevin Doyle. No subs left for Trap. George puts out a teaser for Beglin about who were the last brothers to play for Ireland. The O'Leary brothers, I'm thinking...
59.10 - Good passing between Whelan and Doyle. Ball crossed but deflected back to Buffon. Irish crowd appeal for back pass but ref having none of it.
55.40 - Doyle miskicks and Hunt gets to the ball before Buffon and tumbles over the Juve keeper but the ball was out of play before he hit Hunt.
A little bit risky by the Italian netminder but would have been a soft penalty. Hunty feels obliged to make a few narky pointing gestures to any Italians in the vicinity and has a sneaky word with the ref as well before h trots back up the pitch.
54.54 - Dossena on for Pepe. A game of chess between the Italian masters.
54.05 - Gibson on for Andrews. Jim Beglin happy with that as Gibson can pick a pass and can hit one as well.
52.25 - Good running with ball by Hunt. free into box easily dealt with by Italy defence.
52.10 - Canavarro leaps majestically at back post to head back across goal - attempted bicycle kick cleared.
51.30 - Pepe and Grosso still causing trouble for Ireland down the left. Corner for Italy.
48.50 - Stephen Hunt penalised for brushing up against De Rossi. The ref is not liking the idea of any sort contact.
46.30 - Trap has appeared to push McShane into the centre and O'Shea into right back. Meanwhile, Pirlo is sending a text from the bench - classic stuff.
45.00 And we're back - Pirlo off for Palombo. Sit in there in front of the back four, says Lippi, in Italian of course. Italy have no playmaker now - a bit like the Irish you could say. Full time in Georgia. 0-0 with Montenegro. Looks like it is a three horse race in the group for certain now, with the Italian Stallion looking the most likely to advance as things stand.
Half-time analysis/banter
In the studio, Bill is celebrating the fact Ireland have been ‘liberated from a negative mindset’ and Gilesy is happy with the attacking spirit shown by Trap’s men. Ronnie brings everyone down to earth when the panel turn their attention to the ineptitude shown by the Ireland defence. Dunphy maintains that those who believe the sending off was anything other than fortuitous ‘don’t know what they are talking about’. A slight directed at George perhaps?
The panel are confident that Ireland can come away with something from Bari but the experience in the Italy defence could be key.
Giles thinks Trap may even make a few more substitutions.
46.57 Two minutes equates to 1.50 mins in the world of Wolfgang Stark. Half-time.
44.47 Two minutes of injury time to be played. A free from deep on the left is swung in aimlessly by Hunt and an Ireland infraction results in a free out to the Italians. The tempo of the contest is petering out as the half draws to a close.
40.19 A blistering volley from Stephen Hunt has shades of Ray Houghton and Giants Stadium in 1994, but Buffon tips the dipping volley over his crossbar. Ireland’s best effort yet.
38.17 An Irish free from a promising position on the left is wasted by Hunt who isn’t noted fro the quality of his delivery. Italy clear.
36.45 Kilbane attempts to set Doyle free from the left, but Cannavaro shepherds the ball back to Buffon.
35.00 With ten minutes to the interval, play has become disjointed which will suit the men with the one-goal buffer just fine.
32.29 Grosso creates more problems for Ireland. Another break down the left and cross into the box is misjudged by Given and Iaquinta spurns a decent shooting chance.
30.17 Ireland break from deep in their own half through Folan, but McShane is disposed by the Italians. Ireland then retain possession but Andrews miskick takes the ball wide.
29.00 Ireland attempting to play with plenty of width in a bid to stretch the ten men.
28.04 McShane breaks into the Italian box but his cross is cut out.
25.51 Ireland enjoying plenty of possession in the Italian half, but the idea of sustained possession appears alien to a number of players and incisive balls are few and far between.
24.12 Ireland pressure results in a corner that comes to nothing.
22.10 Substitution. Trap shows his dynamic side by ‘sacrificing’ Keogh for Folan. Some sacrifice. Folan will partner Doyle up front, with Keane marauding in the hole behind the front two.
20.53 Ireland play is slowly improving but as they spray the ball wide McShane inexplicably allows the ball to roll out for a throw to the Azzurri.
19.14 Cannavaro clashes with Doyle and the Irishman is wrongly penalised by the arbitrator. Italy free comes to nothing as the rain arrives in Bari.
17.00 Ireland possession lacks penetration at the moment and speculative punts upfield are causing the Italian defence little difficulty.
16.00 Stephen Hunt goes on a darting run past Zambrotta and then goes to ground in the Italian area, but contact from Chiellini is minimal. Play on.
12.00 The Italians are masters at defending a 1-0 lead and the Republic under Trap are going to have to show attacking flair to get back in it. We’re in trouble, despite the extra man. If the extra man is McShane we’re in big trouble.
10.22 Goal Italy 1-0 Republic of Ireland. The curse of the matchtracker strikes again. Grosso breaks down the left, gets to the byline, and ghosts by the stagnant Paul McShane to square the ball to Iaquinta who does the necessary from five yards. Given was left with no chance but Keogh was also culpable in the defensive lapse.
8.00 It’s 10 v 10 as O’Shea seeks treatment, but the Irish side are growing in confidence and look assured on the ball. Why wouldn’t they?
4.40 O’Shea sustained a serious gash in the incident and it’s unclear whether or not the Waterford man can clear any further part. Jim Beglin is playing devil’s advocate to patriot Gerorge Hamilton and believes the sending off was harsh.
2.10 O’Shea is caught by an Italian elbow. It’s unclear if their was intent on the part of Pazzini but the Red Card is shown to the Sampdoria man. Referee in ‘no homer’ scandal.
0.52 Kilbane foul on Pazzini results in a free kick, but Pirlo’s set-piece is easily cleared.
Game On!
A minute’s silence to mark the passing of former FAI president Donnie O’Halloran and the victims of the stadium tragedy in the Ivory Coast passes off without incident.
Italy: Buffon, Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Chiellini, Grosso, Brighi,
De Rossi, Pirlo, Pepe, Pazzini, Iaquinta.
Replacements: Amelia, Motta, Gamberini, Dossena, Palombo,
Quagliarella, Rossi.
Rep of Ireland: Given, McShane, Dunne, O'Shea, Kilbane, McGeady, Whelan, Andrews, S. Hunt, Doyle, Keane.
Replacements: Kiely, Delaney, Kelly, Keogh, Folan, Gibson,
N. Hunt.
Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany)
Build-up
RTÉ coverage begins with a 1980s-style montage. Elephants, lions and other beasts mingle with Ireland’s football stars to impress upon the viewer that tonight’s result will have a major impact on any possible trip to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup.
Even the suits and the set don their figurative caps to Ireland circa 1987. Not just the economy in retrospective mode then.
Bulgaria’s 2-0 victory at home to Cyprus earlier in the evening was the worst possible result for Giovanni Trapattoni's side, who face a daunting task in the southern port city of Bari.
The panel are pretty scathing on the side’s – particularly the midfield’s - recent performances. Trap’s tactics are perceived as outdated and negative and an appointment that was almost universally welcomed is in danger of souring rapidly despite an unbeaten start to the campaign.
Eamon is banging on about Russian roulette and a terrifying image of ‘Dunph’ reprising the role played by Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter flashes through the mind.
Toto Schillaci has spent a lifetime trading on a golden two-week period at the 1990 World Cup and in interview with RTÉ the deluded Toto tells of his memories of the tournament. He believes he now look s more like an ageing actor than a former footballer. Maybe he’s talking about Mickey Rourke.
This is Italy’s eighth game in Bari since 1947.
First-half coverage: Barry McEneaney
Second-half coverage: Ed Leahy
