Goalkeeper Keiren Westwood was the Republic of Ireland's hero as
his fine save denied Macedonia an equaliser in the 2-1 victory in
Dublin.
- Republic of Ireland v FYR Macedonia: As it happened
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Giovanni Trapattoni's men raced into a 2-0 lead within 21
minutes at the Aviva Stadium as Aiden McGeady's first senior
international goal and Robbie Keane's 46th took full advantage of
blunders from goalkeeper Edin Nuredinoski.
However, Ivan
Trickovski pulled one back on the stroke of half-time and then forced
Westwood into a fine 75th-minute save as the visitors battled valiantly
in search of a leveller.
The game was a little more than a minute
old when McGeady, who had been sent out under explicit instructions to
shoot on sight, cut inside from the left and did just that.
His low drive was well struck, but it should not have eluded Nuredinovski's grasp to nestle in the bottom corner.
Things
could hardly have started more perfectly for Trapattoni and his
players, and they went close again with 11 minutes gone when Kevin Doyle
climbed well to head down Kevin Kilbane's cross, and it took a brave
intervention by the Macedonian goalkeeper to prevent Keane from
extending his side's lead.
Darron Gibson blasted a 21st-minute
free-kick towards goal and saw Nuredinovski fumble it into the path of
the ever-alert Keane, who bundled it over the line to double the dose
but if the home fans among a sparse crowd thought the points were safe,
they were mistaken as Macedonia launched a spirited fightback.
With
midfielder Darko Tasevski prompting behind strikers Goran Pandev and
Ilco Naumoski, they began to make an impression and they got their
reward on the stroke of half-time when Trickovski accepted Pandev's pass
and cut inside Richard Dunne, his deft finish giving the visitors hope.
The
Irish had resumed in sluggish fashion, but they found their tempo once
again as the half wore on with McGeady seeing another rasping effort
blocked and Damien Duff thumping a low drive inches wide but Macedonia
were refusing to lie down and the tension mounted as they forced a
series of free-kicks to fulfil at least part of Trapattoni's prophecy.
Ireland
had Westwood to thank for preserving their lead with 15 minutes
remaining when midfielder Muhamed Demiri lifted the ball over Dunne to
find Trickovski, the goalkeeper coming swiftly from his line to make an
invaluable block.
Source: DSG