Keane thumps the ball past Kahn to score

By Ian Parkes, PA Sport, Ibaraki

The Irish just cannot keep the name Keane out of the headlines.

But this time it was Robbie, rather than rebel Roy, who stole the limelight for all the right reasons.

The Leeds striker struck a dramatic equaliser two minutes into stoppage time to put Ireland within reach of the second round.

After all the trials and tribulations of the Roy Keane affair which marred the nation's build up to these finals, it was ironic that the man who shares the same surname as the team's former captain should emerge the hero.

A point was no less than Mick McCarthy's brave boys in green deserved as they dominated this Group E clash in the Kashima Stadium against the team who put eight goals past Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Ireland play the Saudis next Tuesday in Yokohama and a victory against the weakest link in the group should be enough to see them through.

But they will also need to score as many goals as possible in case Germany and Cameroon draw their final game and all three teams finish with five points - as is likely with the Africans also due to face Saudi Arabia tomorrow. The goal records of the candidates will then come into the equation.

But if Ireland are victorious and there is also a winner in that other game, then McCarthy's men will be through to the second round.

Ireland had been slightly on top before falling behind after 18 minutes to a goal which was aided by errors from two of the three Leeds players in the team.

First, Gary Kelly went missing from the right hand channel in midfield and Michael Ballack had time and space to deliver a teasing cross into the Ireland box.

Miroslav Klose nipped inside Ian Harte and tucked his downward header past Shay Given to claim his fourth goal in two games in this tournament - all scored with his head following his hat-trick against the Saudis.

Spurred on by their fantastic support, Irish heads didn't drop and it was a fascinating game, end-to-end and played at a fast and furious pace on a cool night.

At times Damien Duff was irresistible with the skill he showed as he breezed past two or three German defenders at a time.

However, Ireland's main problem was the same one they had against Cameroon.

For all their good build-up play, they lacked a target man to get on the end of the crosses supplied by Duff, Kevin Kilbane, Kelly and Steve Finnan - who kept his place in the team ahead of Jason McAteer after his solid display on Saturday.

Although there was plenty of endeavour from both teams, there was only one good chance throughout the rest of the half and it fell to Ireland two minutes before the break.

Finnan's chip into the box looked inviting for Keane, who was unmarked on the six-yard line. With his back to goal the Leeds striker elected to try an overhead kick, but he took his eye off the ball and fluffed it, enabling goalkeeper Oliver Kahn to clean up.

The half-time statistics confirmed Ireland's slight dominance, revealing they had enjoyed 571776f possession.

Ireland took the game to the Germans after the restart and Duff was denied what would have been a deserved equaliser by Kahn's great block after 56 minutes.

Finnan's deep cross was headed down nicely by Kilbane and Duff was suddenly in on goal. He steadied himself before shooting from eight yards, but Kahn's big frame came to the rescue for Germany as the ball hit him on the left thigh and ran out for a corner.

There was then a let-off for the Republic after 67 minutes as Bayern Munich striker Carsten Jancker missed a good chance to all but seal the three points, and a safe passage into the second round for the Germans.

Bernd Schneider's delicate chip over the defence found Jancker in space on the right edge of the box. He guided his shot past Given, who raced off his line, but the ball ran just beyond the far post and out for a goal-kick.

McCarthy finally realised Ireland needed a cutting edge and he took a bold but sensible gamble with a double substitution after 73 minutes as Niall Quinn and Stephen Reid replaced Kelly and Harte.

The Irish changes paid some form of dividends on the hour as Quinn won a free-kick just two yards outside the box and just right of centre, for being impeded by Dietmar Hamann.

It was a golden chance, but as the Germans lined up an eight-man wall Keane disappointingly curled the ball beyond Kahn's left hand post.

Quinn again did well for Ireland after 82 minutes when he helped the ball on for Keane to chase inside the box. But captain Kahn was smartly off his line and cleared with his legs.

As gaps opened up in Ireland's defence, Given mis-kicked a clearance after 85 minutes but did just enough to keep the ball away from substitute Marco Bode. Then a minute later Quinn chipped the ball on to the roof of net at the other end.

Then, with two of the three added minutes gone, Kilbane's cross was flicked into the box by Quinn's head. Keane pounced and his fierce shot from eight yards was pushed on to his left post by Kahn before flying into the roof of the net for his 11th goal in 36 international appearances.

The final whistle followed shortly after and signalled a massive celebration for the Irish, led by skipper Steve Staunton who won his 100th international cap.

Teams

Germany: Kahn, Linke, Ramelow, Metzelder, Frings, Hamann, Ballack, Schneider (Jeremies 90), Ziege, Jancker (Bierhoff 75), Klose (Bode 85).

Subs Not Used: Asamoah, Baumann, Bohme, Butt, Kehl, Lehmann, Neuville, Rehmer, Ricken.

Goals: Klose 19.

Rep of Ireland: Given, Finnan, Breen, Staunton (Cunningham 87), Harte (Reid 73), Gary Kelly (Quinn 73), Holland, Kinsella, Kilbane, Keane, Duff.

Subs Not Used: Carsley, Connolly, Dunne, Alan Kelly, Kiely, McAteer, Morrison, O'Brien.

Goals: Keane 90.

Att: 35,854

Ref: K Nielsen (Denmark).