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By Rory Houston
2155 Thanks for reading tonight folks. It was a disappointing performance but here is hoping for a better showing in Russia on Tuesday. See you for the 4pm kick-off then.
2153 Sean St Ledger said: "We had some good chances. Obviously the fans were brilliant, acted like a 12th man. We are disappointed not to get the result. It is a big game in Russia."
2143 Eamon Dunphy is very critical of Ireland's performance and the tactics implored by the manager.
2140 That was a devastating finish after a magnificent opportunity for Dunne. Ireland were quite poor tonight and didn't deserve to win the game. Trap's men must go to Russia and win.
Full-time: Republic of Ireland 0-0 Slovakia
90 + 3 min What a chance for Richard Dunne! Hunt's cross comes to Dunne at the far post, Dunne is unmarked but can't connect properly with his header and the ball lobs away.
90 + 2 min Ireland win a corner, this is the last chance
90 + 1 min Slovakia are looking comfortable defensively. Can Ireland muster one more chance?
90 min Three minutes of added-time.....
89 min Andrews' cross is cleared by Durica with Ireland lumping the ball towards goal over and over again now.
88 min St Ledger is booked so he misses the trip to Russia on Tuesday. There are just two minutes left in the Aviva Stadium.
86 min Hunt injects tempo to Ireland from his first involvement, with two crosses cleared by the Slovakian defence. They look happy with a point, with an eye on a home game with Russia forthcoming next month.
85 min Hunt replaces McGeady. That is Trap's last throw of the dice.
84 min Ireland have not played well tonight but they have had chances to win this game. Keane's fine run allows the striker to leave his back to goal and offload to Cox who just misses the target from 15 yards out. Andrews was the man over for Ireland, he is furious with Cox for not passing the ball.
83 min Big roar from the home crowd as Hunt takes off his training top and gets ready to come on.
81 min Given gathers and starts another Irish attack which is soon ended by a mis-timed O'Shea pass.
79 min St Ledger has grown and grown in this game, timing another header excellently to stop Weiss having a pop.
76 min As the game becomes more open, Ireland are finding one or two openings. Cox picks up it on the edge of the box and has Duff over-lapping on the outside. Cox's effort at goal is weak and the quest for the breakthrough goes on.
74 min Robbie Keane has misses a glorious chance for Ireland and how crucial could it be? Duff flights a brilliant cross into Ireland's leading goalscorer and he just has Mucha to beat with a header from eight yards. The ball comes off the shoulder of the LA Galaxy striker and loops over.
71 min McGeady shows his class by getting away from his marker with a turn of pace. Looking up from the edge of the area, the winger scuffs a shot wide of goal. Russia watch on, willing the clock to tick away. Ireland need a goal but Cox has yet to have a touch so far.
70 min I'm not sure which players but Ireland manager to get a block on Hamsik's free-kick and eventually get it away. Stephen Hutn is warming up.
68 min Disaster for Ireland as Given spills the ball when he is about to throw it out. The goalkeeper picks up the ball again but this is a foul so Slovakia have an indirect free-kick from 15 yards out.
67 min Weiss manufactures the best opening of the game as he sees off the attentions of two Irish players and has a clear sight of goal. The former Rangers man crosses instead of having a pop at goal and Ward clears it away. Hard to understand why he didn’t shoot!
65 min Kucha is judged to have cut across the McGeady and picks up a yellow card. That is the first of the match.
64 min Simon Cox is on for Kevin Doyle. The Wolves man had a frustrating night.
63 min There is movement on the Irish bench......
61 min Slovakia are looking increasingly dangerous as Weiss breaks down the left and picks out Holosko, forcing St Ledger to stand up and make a vital block on the striker's shot at goal. Nerves increasing, performance levels decreasing.
60 min Brilliant cross from Pekarik as Skrtel tries to attack the ball on the six-yard line. St Ledger and Dunne do enough to see the ball away from danger and make sure the Liverpool man can't get a head on it.
58 min Ireland's second shot on goal of the game comes from Damien Duff. The winger's first attempt is blocked, McGeady lays off the rebound and Duff knocks his next effort high and wide.
55 min Weiss plays a shot through the legs of Ward that just drifts wide of the far post. That is another warning for Ireland. They could have no complaints if Slovakia took the lead.
53 min Keogh, Hunt and Cox are warming up for Ireland. Why did Trap call up James McCarthy for the senior squad tonight and then leave him in the stand for the game? Surely he is a better option than Andy Keogh in terms of needing to change a game.
51 min You have to admire the Slovakian performance so far. They have reallty frustrated Ireland as Doyle pulls back Skrtel in his attempt to win the ball back. If things don't change personnel or formation-wise, there is only one team scoring in this game.
49 min Whelan appeals for a penalty, losing his footing after brushing with a Slovak defender. The referee waves play on.
48 min Richard Dunne looks for options inside his own half. The midfield is non-existent, Dunne is forced to kick it long and the end result is losing the ball. Frustrating.
47 min Duff nears finds Andrews in the penalty area with Cech getting an important touch on the ball to knock it to safety.
46 min Darragh Maloney reports an "eerie atmosphere" at the Aviva as the half gets underway. No changes for either side by the way.
2050 The teams are back on the pitch. This is a massive 45 minutes in the group.
2042 Damien Richardson believes it is the perfect away performance by the Slovakians. They are putting Ireland under pressure all the time and Ireland can't handle it, he notes.
2041 "Same old problems for Ireland. Duff and McGeady not getting on the ball enough and the Centre midfielders being completely bi-passed."
Jason, Calgary, AB
2040 John Giles rated Ireland's first half showing as "awful".
2036 This is where Giovanni Trapattoni earns his €1.7million a year. Ireland need a drastic improvement or they will face end of their qualification hopes in an hour's time. It has been a poor performance and passing has been non-existent.
Half-time: Republic of Ireland 0-0 Slovakia
45 min It looks as if the game will be level at the break as we enter stoppage time. It has not been thrilling and Trap will be happy to hear the whistle.
44 min A rare positive piece of passing from Ireland sees McGeady play in Ward on the side of the penalty area but the cross is atrocious, much to the frustration of every Irishman in the Aviva.
42 min And the Slovaks continue to look for gaps, competently passing the ball around defence and midfield. Slovakia have had close to 85% possession in the last five minutes.
41 min Pekarik and Weiss face McGeady and Ward after the latter lost control of the ball on the right wing. Slovakia pass it back towards their own goal.
38 min Durica attempts an ambitious overhead kick from just inside the Ireland penalty area. The shot is greeted with ironic cheers from the home crowd so that should explain how close it was to goal.
37 min Mucha is tested for the first time in the game as Ireland work it to Duff via a Keith Andrews pass and he shoots into the ground from 20 yards. Mucha gets strong hands behind the ball and the chance is gone. It bounced favourably to the goalkeeper.
35 min McGeady wins the ball back brilliantly as he once again must cover for Ward's poor positioning. Weiss is proving too much for Ward as it stands.
33 min Durica falls on his arm and receives attention which stops play for a minute or so. Ireland are looking very flat and unsure of how to improve things.
2023 Paddy Murphy asks who is on the Irish bench:
Westwood, Foley, O'Dea, Lawrence, Hunt, Keogh, Cox.
31 min This sums up the game so far as Doyle and Duff are closed down by five Slovakian players and the Fulham winger plays a poor pass into the middle of the field that is easily intercepted.
29 min Clever play by Doyle to win a soft free on the half-way mark. Slovakia have dominated possession in the last five minutes. This will provide some respite.
28 min Holosko forced Given to scramble across goal after a clever header. The Aston Villa man pushes the ball out of play, even though it looked as if it was going wide.
26 min Stephen Ward makes a crucial interception after a fine move between Hamsik and Weiss. St Ledge pushes Holosko close to the endline so Weiss will swing in a free on the right wing.
24 min Trap watches on from the sideline, eagle-eyed and hoping to see his players keep the ball rather the poor fare we have seen so far. McGeady has been enduring a difficult game in particular.
22 min Four Slovakian players stand over the ball for the free. Durica is the man who has the shot but by the time they have finished laying it off, two Irish players are in place to block it away. Ireland push upfield and we are halfway through the first period.
20 min St Ledger is penalised for holding Hamsik, meaning Slovakia will have a free-kick just over 20 yards from goal.
19 min Duff produces trademark turn and cross but Keane can't get on the end of it. Slovakia counter and find Weiss in the area who shoots straight at Given. That was a worrying moment for Ireland.
18 min Stoch drags a shot off-target after a mis-placed pass by St Ledger. Ireland need to maintain patience and composure. The Trapattoni gameplan has been countered effectively by the Slovakians in the opening 18 minutes.
2005 "After an exhaustive and fruitless search of Tacoma's "Irish" bars, I find myself watching Bulgaria v England with Spanish commentary, listening to Gabriel Egan's commentrary on the laptop, while reading the updates here.
"Together with my Bangers and Mash for breakfast, it's a very interactive morning. Strong Irish side out so hopefully we can get the win we need ahead of the trip to Moscow. Come on Ireland."
Shane, Tacoma, WA
15 min Keane tries an overhead kick from O'Shea's cross. The LA Galaxy man fails to make a clean contact and McGeady once again loses possession in the aftermath.
14 min Ireland have been giving the ball away too much in recent minutes, with McGeady guilty on this occasion just inside the Slovakian half. The away side break forward and Cech shoots from distance. It is no danger to Given's goal and goes wide.
2002 "At wedding here in Limerick. Bride has all televisions off and match banned. My smart phone and your text commentry is the only outlet for me and a legion of lads....come on the boys in green!"
Conor Mulvihill
While I appreciate the readers, man up lads. It is only a wedding.
12 min Doyle tries to slide in Keane but it is a poor ball and the two Slovakian defenders see it out of play comfortably.
10 min O'Shea tackles Karhan near the touchline to quell the danger as Slovakia try to muster an attack.
8 min It is a very tight encounter in these opening stages and clearly Ireland will need to be close to their best tonight. Slovakia have set their stall out to keep numbers in their own half. It could be tricky to break through.
6 min Ward gets caught by Pekarik down the right wing with McGrady needing to track back to cover. The ball to Pekarik is deemed offside but that was a warning sign for Ireland.
5 min And the Slovakian fans are making great noise in the north stand!
4 min Doyle lifts a ball over Skrtel but Robbie Keane loses track of the ball at the crucial time and the goalkeeper can gather. Slovakia look well set-up and Keane and Doyle need to get their movement just right tonight.
2 min Both teams are getting a feel of the ball. Stephen Ward gets his first tough. It is a big night for the former Bohs man. Kevin Kilbane has big boots to fill.
1 min The game kicks off and Ireland are on the attack but McGeady is judged to have run the ball out of play.
1944 "This weekend ten years ago, Jason McAteer scored against Holland to send us through to Japan and it was magic!
"We want a little bit of that spirt tonight! I was in an Irish pub in Paris. I'm in France again now so hopefully the French will be lucky for us tonight."
Audrey Eager Chamonix, France
1943 There are a lot of empty seats in the Irish sections. Robbie Keane and the Slovakian captain Marek Hamsik read out the FIFA message of fair play and respect.
1941 The teams stand for the national anthem with Damien Duff leading the Irish team in enthusiastic fashion.
1940 I'm backing Robbie Keane to produce the goods again tonight and Ireland to sneak a one-goal win.
1938 There is a large Slovakian crowd in the Aviva and the atmosphere is building as the players enter the tunnel.
1927 This is Ireland's biggest game since the famous play-off defeat to France. Looking at the table as it stands, it is vital Ireland secure three points ahead of the trip to Russia if they are to maintain aspirations to top the group.
1922 "Come on Ireland, put the foot down and do us proud tonight. I'm spending the next two hours indoors instead of chilling outside on the beach. Go ahead, make my Friday!"
Ciaran Boyle. Long Beach, New York
1921 "Stuck in the office at work here in Chicago so I probably won't get to see any of the game. Disgusted! I'm going for a nervy 2-1 win. Thanks in advance for all your updates!
"C'mon you boys in green!"
Kevin
1920 "They are a team that, if we play well tonight with all the talent in our team, we can beat them," says Eamon Dunphy.
1913 John Giles believes Stephen Ward's inclusion will give Ireland more options.
1910 Slovakia: Mucha, Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Cech, Weiss, Karhan, Stoch, Hamsik, Kucka, Holosko.
Subs: Putnocky, Jez, Sestak, Vittek, Michalik, Jendrisek, Guede.
1905 Still waiting on the complete Slovakia team-sheet but I can tell you that skipper Marek Hamsik was included in the starting line-up despite manager Vladimir Weiss last night rating his chances at just 50-50 because of a knee problem.
1900 Russian have edged to a far from convincing 1-0 victory against Macedonia in Moscow, while elsewhere in Ireland's Group B Armenia claimed a 3-0 victory away to Andorra.
1850 Still no sign of that Slovakia team anywhere, but tonight reamins a must-win game as Russia are closing in on a 1-0 victory at home to Macedonia.
Teams:
Republic of Ireland: Shay Given, John O'Shea, Richard Dunne, Sean St Ledger, Stephen Ward, Damien Duff, Keith Andrews, Glenn Whelan, Aiden McGeady, Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle
Slovakia to follow....
1800 Good evening and welcome to RTÉ.ie's coverage of this cricial Euro 2012 qualifier. In case you missed it, Shane Long will miss tonight's game after picking up a light calf strain. His place in the side will be taken by Kevin Doyle. No surprise there!
Long will stay with the squad and could feature in Tuesday's match against Russia.
We're still waiting on the Slovakia team to come through.
