Georgia vs Rep Ireland

Georgia 1-2 Rep Ireland

A late Gary Doherty goal earned Ireland a 2-1 victory over Georgia in the Lokomotiv Stadium in Tbilisi for their first victory of the current European Championships campaign.

Ireland were like a different team to the side that lost successive games to Russia and Switzerland just five months ago as they tore apart their hosts, with Georgia - spurred on by a partizan threatening crowd - only coming into the game in the second half.

Georgia were missing the influential AC Milan defender Kakha Kaladze and Rangers striker Shota Arveladze who were both injured. Also missing was Dinamo Tbilisi midfielder Lado Burduli who had a knee injury.

In the opening minutes, Georgia had the bit between their teeth with Derby County play maker Georgi Kinkladze playing dangerous balls in behind the Ireland back line. Midfielder Levan Tskitishvili also looked very dangerous on the right wing with one mazy dribble in particular causing Ireland plenty of trouble before the ball was scrambled away.

But Ireland responded in kind with Damien Duff, playing as an orthodox striker, looking lively as he set Georgian heartbeats racing with some nice touches in dangerous positions.

Ireland's first chance of the game came on 14 minutes after one brilliant moment of trickery by Duff on the left wing when he bamboozled Tskitishvili to slip the ball inside for the onrushing Kevin Kilbane who charged into the box before unleashing a fierce curling shot which goalkeeper Giorgi Lomaia did well to save.

One minute later, Duff was involved again when he cut in from the right wing before firing in a stinging drive that had to punched over the bar by Lomaia.

And only moments later, in the 18th minute, Ireland grabbed the goal that they were threatening to score as Duff notched up his third international goal.

A Georgian attack broke down in midfield and the ball was fed to Kilbane on the left wing who ignored the overlapping John O'Shea to whip in a right footed cross to the far post where Lee Carsley controlled the ball on his chest before striking the post with a powerful shot. However, Duff was hovering on the six-yard line to scramble the ball home after Shashiashvili and Amisulashvili both failed to clear the ball.

The goal settled down Ireland and for the next few minutes Georgia didn't have a look-in. Ireland's midfield of Carsley, Matt Holland, Mark Kinsella and Kilbane, stifled the home side and for a while it looked like the game would be over by half time.

A Holland volley was unluckily deflected away when seemingly destined to test the goalkeeper after 20 minutes while Kerr's men should have been awarded a penalty in the 28th minute when Gary Doherty was clearly taken down by Giorgi Shashiashvili on the edge of the area after a quick counter attack by Kilbane had released the Tottenham Hotspur striker.

A minute later, Doherty was again in the thick of the action as he went close with a toe poked effort at the near post after Duff had robbed the hapless Shashiashvili of the ball and swung across a low inviting cross.

However, Georgia still showed that they were capable of pulling a goal back with Kinkladze's trickery always a concern for Ireland and on 33 minutes he created an opening for Gocha Jamarauli to try his luck from the edge of the area, but his shot drifted over.

That was the signal for Georgia to up a gear as they searched for a goal before half time. Ireland were increasingly put under pressure, though, with the exception of an Aleksandre Iashvili strike which drifted wide, Georgia were largely kept at arms length with the most of their possession in the middle third of the pitch.

Brian Kerr may not have wanted half time to come, with the worry that Georgia could use the break to reorganise, but within seconds of the restart, any fears he might have had were dispelled as Ireland almost grabbed a second goal. It took a fine save by Lomaia when one on one with Carsley to keep Georgia in the match after a fine flowing move down the left by Ireland created the chance for the Everton midfielder.

But like the end of the first half, Georgia worked hard to get back into the game, but also like the latter stages of the second half, the Ireland back line - magnificently marshalled by Kenny Cunningham - and midfield held their shape and restricted Georgia to only brief glimpses of goal.

Substitute Giorgi Demetradze was a constant danger and he should have at least tested the goalkeeper with a left foot shot from the edge of the area after a long ball had caught the Ireland defence square while Kinsella did brilliantly to block a Giorgi Nemsadze effort from the edge of the box.

But eventually, Georgia's pressure paid off when Levan Kobiashvili scored the equaliser in the 62nd minute. Demetradze won a free kick on the edge of the area off O'Shea after some pushing involving 20 players - and the referee delaying the game after a knife was thrown on the pitch - the Freiburg midfielder hammered in a free kick which beat Given at his near post despite the Newcastle goalkeeper getting both hands to the ball.

For the remainder of the game, Georgia threw everything at Ireland with Demetradze going close with a looping effort from a corner while Kobiashvili blasted wastefully wide after cutting into the box close to the touch line.

Ireland continued to press forward when in possession, but attacks became even more and more sporadic as the game went on.

With 15 minutes remaining, Duff had a wonderful opportunity to put Ireland in front once more when Carr did magnificently on the right wing before crossing for the Blackburn attacker, who unmarked six yards out, headed straight at Lomaia.

But Duff's blushes were saved with five minutes to go when Doherty grabbed the winner. Once again, the goal was magnificently created as a Ireland corner was only half cleared to Duff on the right wing who beat two players before whipping over a deep cross which deceived everybody except Gary Breen who headed back across goal for Doherty to head home unopposed from inside the six yard box.

Teams:

Referee: VASSARAS Kyros (GRE)

Booked: Khizaneishvili (77) Doherty (32)

Attendance: 25,000

Pictures:

29th March

Georgia

Rep Ireland

1     Given
2     Carr
3     Cunningham (C)
4     Breen
5     O'Shea
6     Holland
7     Duff
8     Kinsella
9     Doherty
10   Carsley
11   Kilbane

Subs:

12   O'Brien
13   Connolly
16   Kiely
17   Healy
18   McPhail

1     Lomaia
2     Khizaneishvili
3     Shashiashvili
4     Amisulashvili
5     Kobiashvili
6     Tskitishvili
7     Nemsadze (C)
8     Jamarauli
9     Ketsbaia       46
10   Kinkladze      72
11   Iashvili

Subs:

12   Gvaramadze
14   Kemoklidze
15   Demetradze      46
16   Didava       72
17   Rekhviashvili
18   Ashvetia