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by Brendan Cole
FULL-TIME: ARMENIA 0-1 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
90 (+2) mins And that's that - Ireland get three points and the perfect start to this campaign.
Thanks for all the e-mails, we couldn't get to everything unfortunately.
We'll see you next week for Ireland Andorra on Tuesday evening.
Just time for this one:
Gavin (via e-mail): I hope I'm not too late in pointing out, after much criticism from Bill & the boys in the studio following the LOI drubbing at the hands of some foreign team in Lansdowne recently, that it was two guys who learnt the game and first displayed their skills in the Airtricity League (Doyle and Fahey) that were involved in the goal?
90 (+1) mins Another glorious chance for Armenia, Lawrence just nicking the ball away from an Armenian head with his foot less than six yards from the Irish goal. Again, it was lmost a sure goal if the attacker had made contact there and Lawrence also did well to avoid giving away the penalty.
A free for Ireland in midfield lifts the pressure soon after.
89 mins Liam Lawrence is Kenny Cunningham's 3 Man of the Match as Richard Dunne makes another key interception in the Irish box.
Andy Keogh gets ball into the corner for Ireland where he, Fahy and Doyle keep it for a minute. Eventually, Doyle is almost forced to attack his cross misses Keogh and allows Armenia to attack again.
St Ledger is soon blocking another hard shot, as the clock ticks into the 90th minute.
87 mins Another chance for Armenia - Movsisyan playing a nicely weighted through ball that Given just about gets to before an Armenian attacker; John O'Shea showed good composure there, just holding off his men.
Armenia are - again - soon back on the attack and Whelan gives away a free, tripping an Armenian attacker as he went past.
Dangerous position but Given is again the perfect safe pair of hands behind a dipping shot and calmly collects.
85 mins Armenia cross again from the right but it Whelan eases the pressure by cleverly winning a free for Ireland as the players contested the breaking ball.
Mkhitaryan soon has Armenia back on the attack again, but St Ledger does very well to cut out what would have been the killer pass - and not for the first time - as the Armenians charged at the Irish defence.
84 mins Andy Keogh will come on for Ireland in a minute as tempers flare briefly in the middle - Liam Lawrence is not too happy with the Armenian defenders - but the situation ends quickly.
A dangerous ball in from the Armenian right is cleared by Sean St Ledger, who had to dive low at his near post to head it out.
Keogh replaces captain Robbie Keane.
83 mins Lawrence wins a corner for Ireland, hittting his cross off an Armenian defender. The ball is floated in but headed clear; Ireland collect again and Kilbane plays a long ball forward where Keane and Doyle's attempt to put together a couple of passes doesn't quite work out.
Armenia get it back and are quickly on the attack; a deflected cross carried out by Given yielding a corner. Kilbane heads it out - just - and Pachajyan's effort from well out on the left goes way over.
79 mins Keane gets on the end of another long ball, but is adjudged to have fouled a defneder. The Irish captain hurled himself at a bouncing ball in the Armenian box but didn't quite get to it. He is briefly down holding his head but quickly gets up to continue.
78 mins Ireland have a free at the far end and try a shot but it goes wide off the Irish wall. Corner to Armenia. It is missed by the Irish defenders but goes high and over off an Armenian head - Arzumayan seeing it late and unable to direct it.
76 mins GOAL!!!! Ireland score through Keith Fahey.
Lawrence plays a long ball in for Keane, who almost beats his man but the ball is toe-poked away. Doyle almost gets on it next but it spins away from him.
The late arriving Fahey - fresh and able to get forward - shows great composure to place the ball into the bottom left corner for a hard won score for Ireland!
74 mins Robbie Keane again almost gets on the end of a Lawrence long ball, but it is just flies a little past him and bounces for Berezovsky in the Armenia goal as he got between the centre halves.
The captain gives a thumbs up to the right midfielder.
15 minutes to go, Ireland look tired but are still making chances and Fahy has now taken up a position on the left.
73 mins An Ireland attack breaks down as Doyle's attempt to lay the ball off for Fahy is intercepted. Ireland have no width on the left now with Green, Fahy and Whelan all quite central.
Armenia take advantage, getting into space down the right after Kilbane is dispossessed charing up the middle.
Mkhitaryan's cross is dangerous and Dunne is forced to swipe at it and put it over the endline for another corner. That could have gone in too. The corner is cleared but new man in Hambardzumyan has a shot next and Given kills it with his body before tidying it up.
69 mins Armenia work the ball down the right and a nice cross is played across where Richard Dunne ALMOST puts it into his own net, misjudging the flight completely and having it skew off the side of his head and just over.
Ireland clear the corner and a hard hit shot from Doyle flies straight at the Armenian keeper, who beats it out.
Another change for Armenia - Edigaryan is subbed out. Lawrence's corner is collected with authority by Berezovsky. Green picks off his thrown but the keeper also picks up Green's return ball into the box.
67 mins The outswinging corner overlong and unthreatening but the header back in is not.
Mkrytchyan gets on it and hooks a shot that looks like looping into the opposite corner for a second but in the end floats wide.
Keith Fahy in for Aiden McGeady; Armenia also make a change (TBC).
65 mins Ireland keep ball for a while but Edigaryan intercepts and Armenia attacks again; O'Shea clears this time, leaping high to win the header. Lawrence gets on the ball next and tries to play Keane in but it is cut out this time.
A terrible cross from the Armenian right.
Replays of the goal chance show it was almost as easy to score as miss once Keane got on the end of that long ball and timed his shot, but it just rolled a little off his foot as Keane hooked it across his body - and shinned it a little - with his left foot.
Keith Fahy may be on the way in for Ireland as St Ledger concedes a corner after failing to control a long ball. Fahy won't come in just yet.
62 mins GLORIOUS CHANCE FOR IRELAND! Robbie Keane gets on the end of a hopeful long ball - a whistle blasts in the background but it is not the ref's - and Keane rolls the ball past the keeper but into the post and it is then cleared.
61 mins A bad tackle on Lawrence yields the first yellow card of the game; he is hammered from behind by 20-year-old left back Edigarayan.
The free is taken by O'Shea but the keeper comes a long way and claims it.
59 mins Ireland recover their composure and set up an attack but Keane is caught offside. Armenia come again at Ireland, Movsisyan again shooting from distance.
The home side are well on top, and the crowd are getting behind their team.
Given has to save another shot from outside the box - a low one from Movsisyan again I think. That was just creeping inside the post.
Ireland respond by making a chance for Lawrence out on the right; his cross/shot is almost close enough to Keane to touch in but just flashes wide.
56 mins Again, Ireland deal with the corner but the next two crosses in yield two glorious chances for Armenia!!!!
Movsisyan takes a touch on the Irish six yard line after a lovely low cross when a first time shot would surely have produced a goal; the ensuing scramble sees a headed chance for another Armenian missed and Ireland - barely - escape as O'Shea volleys the ball out of the box.
Ireland were very lucky there.
54 mins Another flick on from Doyle almost reaches Keane but runs just behind him. The next high ball in from Ireland sees Lawrence foulded underneath the ball. Another free in, but like most of Ireland's frees it is from a distance that makes it easy for Armenia to defend.
They again head clear and counter, working the ball to the Irish byline down the right and winning a corner with Whelan ending the attack.
53 mins Another foul on McGeady, another free for Ireland just inside the Armenian half. Kilbane takes as O'Shea and Dunne go forward. He plays it short to Kilbane and Ireland eventually work it down the right where offside is given against O'Shea as he tried to link up with Lawrence.
52 mins Ireland create the next decent attacking chance, McGeady knocking a long cross to Lawrence on the far post.
Lawrence turns down the chance to have 'Van Basten' style swing at it but can't nurse it back across either....goal kick to Armenia.
51 mins Brief stoppage as an Armenian receives treatment for a head injury; nothing serious and they are soon underway again.
Gary, from Dublin (via e-mail): I think we are playing OK and will sneak it 2 – 1, with a late Robbie goal
49 mins Armenia almost work another chance, Movsisyan trying to play a through ball but hitting a touch too hard, and Given collects easily.
47 mins The corner almost connects with Doyle as the keeper came for it and flapped at it, completely missing, but it just sailed over the Irish striker's head.
46 mins The outswinging deliver is headed away by O'Shea and the return ball is also defended well enough, going out over the endline.
Ireland soon win a free at the other end, McGeady again hauled over on the Irish left. It is passed to Lawrence who has a shot that is deflected high and over for an Irish corner.
Richard Dunne trots up this time.
45 mins Ireland attack first, working the ball to McGeady who fires in a low cross. Lawrence, arriving late, has a swing at it but does not connect.
The ball drops at Doyle's feet but just runs away from him and into the hands of Berezovsky in the Armenian goal. Armenia counter quickly and win a corner through Mkhitaryan.
HALF-TIME: The internet has apparently caught fire over the whole Brady/Keane mixup in the pre-amble....... I have been encouraged to retaliate but - and not because I can't think of anything to say - I will rise above it.
On the penalty debate, Eamon says common sense has correctly won out because Keane had lost the ball when he ran over the Armenian defender's leg.
Giles and Brady think it should have been a spot kick for Ireland though...... '
Players are back out.
45 mins Green has a shot next but it is blocked after he was set up by excellent work from Doyle down the Irish left.
A minute later, Doyle is at it again on the left, floating a lovely cross that just goes a little high for everyone, including Liam Lawrence unmarked at the back post.
John O'Shea ends the next Armenian attack with a good tackle. Armenia go down the other wing next, but Ireland counter after another Armenian cross from the right is headed out.
Doyle and Keane run at the heart of the Armenian defence - 2-v-2 briefly - and attempt to manufacture a chance but Keane's pass for his partner is just a little hard and Doyle is forced wide.
Ireland eventually set up Glenn Whelan for a shot but his effort flies left and wide.
Breathless stuff for a few minutes there - and that's the end of the first half.
HALF-TIME: ARMENIA 0-0 IRELAND
41 mins Another Armenian shot - this time from Movsisyan, who held off Green to make the chance - and this time it flies over the bar. A good strike and it was only a foot or two over this time.
Both sides are getting closer.
39 mins A shot from outside the box from the dangerous looking Mkhitaryan is on target but easily covered by Given. Doyle gets it on the left and crosses it is cleared. Doyle gets it again though and sets up Kilbane, who crosses but again it is cleared.
There is a weakish penalty claim as Robbie Keane goes down in the box - but the ref decides that Keane has run into the defenders leg a touch after knocking the ball past him.
'We've seen them given', says Kenny Cunningham in the commentary box.
37 mins Another foul by Green in the middle gives Armenia possession, but he ends the attack with another hard challenge as Armenia start to move it around in the Irish half and Ireland attack again.
Green cuts out the next Armenian ball forward for good measure and Ireland soon have it again at the back but this time, the long ball to Doyle doesn't work out.
35 mins Robbie Keane catches the Armenians out, running into space between the defenders and the goal where O'Shea finds him with a neat pass and Keane and he duly finds the back of the net.
But it is judged offside and it looks the right call.
Close from Ireland, and the Armenian defence again looks indecisive and poorly organised at the back.
33 mins Heat has not been an obvious issue so far. Ireland are back on the attack after again getting a Given kick out down. The ball is worked to McGeady who fires a cross into the near post from the left but it is cleared. Again, Armenia play it forward quickly but it runs to Given.
He moves it O'Shea, who launches it long and again, Doyle is fouled. Another free.
Teams now available at the bottom of the match tracker.
31 mins Armenia are back on the attack and win a corner - their first - that Kilbane heads out. This time, Ireland counter and Keane has a run at the Armenian defence but he is isolated and loses the ball before McGeady and Doyle can get there and support him.
30 mins Armenia play a little keep ball but a loose long ball out towards Malakyan on their left wing goes out. They are soon back in possessesion though, and win a free out on the right when McGeady fouls.
It is swung into the box and Movsisyan tries a volley that goes high and over the bar.
27 mins Chance for Aidan McGeady who beats man on the left, jinks inside and has a shot from inside the box that just slides by the Armenian keeper's right hand post.
Good play but a poor shot in the end.
26 mins Whelan's curling effort with the right foot is on target but tame, and the 'keeper saves with ease.
25 mins The game has settled down a little. Lots of long ball from Ireland - and again, Ireland win a free near the Armenian box after picking up the second ball. This time, McGeady wins it after a rash tackle.
This is within shooting range - could Glenn Whelan have a go?
23 mins This one is headed out and Armenia again go on the counter - Sean St Ledger has to cut out the pass that would have given the Armenians a 1-v-1 in the Irish box.
Ireland are vulnerable on the break after set pieces.
22 mins McGeady takes and Sean St Ledger gets on the end of it at the back post but the keeper - Berezovsky - makes a brilliant save to rescue Armenia!
That was goin in the top corner. A save you would expect him to make says Kenny Cunningham.
Ireland soon have another free on the right, and Lawrence will take.
21 mins Another free for Ireland in that space between the Armenian box and the half-way line. Lawrence will take again and again it is high to the back post, where the keeper uses one hand to tip it over the endline.
Corner Ireland.
20 mins Another free for Ireland - dead in front of goal and near enough the centre circle in the Armenian half - after Doyle is climbed all over in a heading contest.
John O'Shea lifts it to Kilbane who nods it to Doyle in the box but Kilbane he is penalised for leaning in on the Armenian.
18 mins Lawrence hits it high to the back post where O'Shea knocks it back across but it is cleared easily enough. Armenia play it forward again but a sharp and decisive tackle by Dunne ends that attack and Ireland regroup.
Ireland have not kept the ball for quite some time......
17 mins Good chance for Armenia; Green stopped a good counter attack with a good sliding tackle near his own box but the ball rolledt to Mkhitaryan who tried a snapshot from a wide position that bounced in front of Given before he collected.
Armenia have another shot a minute later but it is a weaker effort from Hovsepyan that is blocked. The attack ends with a goal kick to Ireland and Doyle again flicks on for Keane but this the a defender gets to it.
Corner to Ireland though.
14 mins Another free for Ireland in the middle of the park. Lawrence swings it in high towards the back post but it is again dealt with by the Armenian defence.
Aidan, Boston (via e-mail): Keep the Faith – I believe in TRAP!
John, Meath (via e-mail): Keane to score yet again. But maybe only a 1-0 win.
12 mins Lawrence almost sets up Keane after a bit of head tennis in midfield but his attempt to head the ball into the captain's path is a little strong. The Armenians are not well organised at the back.
11 mins McGeady is fouled out on the left but Lawrence's free kick in is punched clear.
Armenia quickly embark on a counter-attack, taking advantage of an error by Green in midfield. Given eventually tidies up as a through ball runs long - though he initially spills the ball near his endline.
10 mins A hopefull ball in to Robbie Keane from John O'Shea has the Armenian defence panicked - Keane is knocked over/falls over (depending on your interpretation by the Armenian defender but the ref waves away his penalty claims.
9 mins McGeady has his first run at Armenia after a long crossfield ball from Dunne. He almost beats two men out on the left but just loses the ball when about to get his head up and look for a cross.
8 mins Super chance for Ireland - a long ball to Doyle, flicked on perfectly for Keane to have a swing at and his right foot effort skews just wide. Really good chance that just missed.
Pete in New Jersey (via e-mail): I am very nervous about this game. Too many injuries plus to much heat equals a loss.
Some of you have kindly pointed out that Robbie Keane (not Liam Brady) is the man not getting his game at Spurs!
6 mins Some lovely possesion play by Ireland on the right, Doyle, O'Shea, and Whelan forming a square down the right before Whelan played it forward.
Doyle gets on it next and Ireland continue to keep the ball in the attacking third before a long ball to McGeady eventually goes out but Ireland are the team that look better on the ball.
3 mins Ireland are split open down the right by a cracking through ball and have to scramble to prevent a shot. Richard Dunne eventually recovers and gets it out.
2 mins Green flicks that ball on but Armnia clear. The next ball goes in to Keane but the attack is repelled. Liam Lawrence gets it next and up against two Armenias he wins a corner.
Lawrence floats it in high and Ireland attack it but it is bravely headed out by an Armenian defender. The ref stops play to deal with his slight head injury, after which the ball is played all the way back to Given.
1 min And we are underway. Rash challenge by Kilbane early on in the middle but he misses everything. Armenia try a long ball but a foul on Sean St Ledger yields a free out which Given will take.
0 min The stadium is not over full and there is a slight delay as the ref takes a look at the net at the Irish end. It is not properly attached to the fastener at the base of Given's right hand post.
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1558 National anthem time - Amhrán na bhFiann rings out first and the Irish players look serious as usual.
The brief Armenian anthem is next and the campaign is about to get underway. The stadium is far from full.
1555 Ireland may revert to sitting back - the 'Ireland unleashed' model seen in Paris will not be the plan - says John Giles, though some of the attacking brio Ireland had that day might come through.
Liam Brady says the plan is always to be strong in midfield and that the Italian never stops his men going forward.
Set-pieces could be the key for Ireland adds Brady.
Eamon reckons a draw - a stalemate - could be the result, with the heat making it tough to play.
1545 Two of Ireland's big players - Shay Given and Robbie Keane - are not playing first team football and that is a worry. Given is missing out because Joe Hart is English says Liam Brady. Should he have left? Maybe not, because the destination options were not good.
Keane is also down the pecking order at Spurs and that is not a good thing for Ireland.
1540 Eamon is not sure about Richard Dunne. John Giles points out that Dunne played pretty well against Everton last Sunday but he is not as 'lean' as usual. Ahem.
Paul Green 'wants to play for Ireland' says Dunphy. Good confidence, poise and a good tackler. Better than Andrews according to Dunphy.
Good attitude.
John Giles would have gone for Darron Gibson. Green will win the ball but won't use it as well as Gibson.
1535 Live TV coverage is starting - a classic line-up featuring Bill O'Herlihy, Liam Brady, John Giles and Eamon Dunphy.
Tony O'Donoghue is over in Armenia. Billo asks the questions.
How hot is over there? It's oppressively hot and very humid despite the fact that it is 7.30pm.
Memories of USA '94 - Ireland will have two chaps on the sidelines allowed to bring water on to the field.
Tony reports that there was a suggestion that the game would kick off early due to dodgy floodlights at the ground - the Armenians proposed a 4pm start. The FAI have said 'no thanks'.
Tony reports that the mood in the camp is great ahead of the match.
Injury report: Richard has not trained as we know, while Robbie Keane has been wearing a knee brace. He has not taken a pain killing injection though.
Eamon says that Armenia will be better than the really poor teams such as Faroe Islands etc etc etc, Spain only beat them 2-1 and they have some good players.
A real test, and a very difficult game for Ireland.
1530 Can Trap's men get their campaign off to a winning start? Get live updates from Ireland's opening Euro 2012 qualifier against Armenia.
Armenia v Republic of Ireland
Armenia: Berezovsky, Hovsepyan, Arzumanyan, Karlen Mkrtchyan, Arakelian, Grigorian, Artur Edigaryan, Malakyan, Pachajyan, Movsisyan, Mkhitaryan.
Subs: Kasparov, Hambardzumyan, Pizelli, Goharyan, Manoyan, Manucharyan, Mkoyan.
Republic of Ireland: Given, O'Shea, St. Ledger, Dunne, Kilbane,
Lawrence, Whelan, Green, McGeady, Keane, Doyle.
Subs: Westwood, Fahey, Kelly, Gibson, Cunningham, Keogh, Sheridan.
Referee: Zsolt Szabo (Hungary)
