Robbie Keane breaks away from Song. (Allsport)

By Reece Killworth

FT: Republic of Ireland 1 Cameroon 1.

Man-of-the-match: Matt Holland. An all-action display capped with a fine goal which meant Ireland barely missed Roy Keane. Holland just edges out his central midfield partner Mark Kinsella.

90 min: It's all over at Niigata.

90 min: Into the final minute of added time. Song breaks forward and shoots with his left foot, but it's way off target.

90 min: Kilbane's floated cross from the left drifts out of play for a goal kick.

90 min: Kinsella breaks on to a poor clearance by Kalla but his shot is blocked on the edge of the box.

90 min: Into added time now as Reid floats over a corner which Duff can only divert over the bar.

90 min: Kelly knocks the ball sideways to Reid, who shoots. Alioum is equal to the task, though, and he pushes the powerful drive over the bar.

89 min: Duff does superbly to break through the centre after initially losing his footing. Kalla goes into the book for hauling back the Ireland striker.

87 min: Kelly drifts in the cross from the left but Tchato heads clear for a throw on the opposite flank.

86 min: Duff breaks down the left but looks to be running away from goal until Song hauls him down.

84 min: Geremi forces a corner down the right but the ball is hacked clear by Kelly.

83 min: A nice move from Ireland ends with Keane getting a shot away. His curling effort beats the keeper but strikes the upright and bounces clear of danger.

82 min: Reid goes into the book after clashing with Suffo. The referee allowed play to go on before going back to book the midfielder after Cameroon's attack broke down.

81 min: Tchato tackles back well to cover for Wome's error which had given Keane space on the edge of the Cameroon box.

80 min: Geremi and Foe knock the ball from left to right but the latter's ball out wide finds only Reid.

79 min: Eto'o chases down Given and forces the Newcastle keeper to rush his clearance, but he has still earnt a throw.

77 min: Ireland bring Steven Reid on for Harte.

76 min: Lauren gets clear of his marker down the right and picks out Geremi at the back post but his header back across goal is hacked clear.

74 min: Harte returns to the action as Cameroon take a throw deep in their own half. Olembe then gives the ball away cheaply with a poor pass.

74 min: Ireland return the ball to Cameroon with Harte off the field receiving treatment.

73 min: Lauren sportingly kicks the ball out of play with Harte down with what looks to be cramp.

72 min: Kilbane heads clear from two yards out after Lauren diverts the corner goalwards. The referee had already blown up though.

71 min: The introduction of Suffo seems to have lifted Cameroon and they force a corner down the right through Eto'o.

70 min: Suffo works himself some space as he breaks forward from midfield but his 25-yard shot curls wide of goal.

69 min: Cameroon bring Patrick Suffo on for Mboma.

68 min: Eto'o gets a yard clear of Finnan, who has to race across to cover in the centre, but his shot is poor.

67 min: Breen connects with Harte's outswinging corner but his header flies way over the bar.

66 min: Harte clips the ball foward to Duff down the left flank and the Blackburn man forces a free-kick off Kalla.

65 min: Olembe gifts possession back to Ireland as another Cameroon attack breaks down.

63 min: The ball rebounds to Kilbane who drifts a cross in. Breen heads it back across goal where it strikes Song and is diverted goalwards. Alioum does brilliantly to keep it out again though by diving to his right to save on the line.

63 min: Staunton knocks the ball to Harte but the Leeds man shoots straight at Song.

62 min: Geremi is pulled up for a foul on Kilbane just inside the Cameroon half.

61 min: With Given fit to continue, Harte floats over the corner from the right. Alioum initially claims it but then fumbles but Song covers for him by hacking clear.

60 min: Given has gone down with what looks to be either a hip or back problem. He took a knock in claiming Wome's corner under pressure a couple of minutes ago.

60 min: Keane moves out to the right flank and links well with Finnan to force a corner.

59 min: Given does superbly to claim the flag-kick at the back post under pressure from Mboma and Kalla.

58 min: Given is forced to push a curling Lauren cross over his own bar.

57 min: Lauren forces a throw down the right deep in Irish territory.

56 min: The match has become scrappy since Ireland's leveller with both sides struggling to keep possession.

54 min: Holland's miscontrol lets Wome get clear down the left but his ball in fails to find Mboma and Breen heads back to Given.

52 min: GOAL - HOLLAND. Straight after Geremi's miss, Kilbane drifts a cross in from the left. Kalla half-clears it to Holland who drills the ball into the corner of the net from 25 yards.

52 min: Given rolls the ball out to Harte who gives it straight to Geremi. His shot drifts just across the goal with others better placed in the middle.

50 min: The ball is cleared easily by Cameroon though and Finnan shows his frustration by pulling down Mboma and then kicking the ball away. That earns him the second yellow card of the match.

50 min: Keane's quick feet earn him a corner down the left off Song which Ireland take quickly.

49 min: The first free-kick of the second half goes Ireland's way on halfway.

48 min: Harte finds himself some space down the left and floats in a cross. Kilbane connects at the front post but his header drifts across goal.

47 min: Finnan shows an impressive turn of pace down the right but his cross in falls behind Keane and Song smuggles it clear.

46 min: Harte flings a long thrown in from the left but Alioum takes three steps forward before leaping to claim at the front post.

46 min: Ireland get us underway in the second half with Steve Finnan in their line-up. He replaces McAteer, who had been struggling with a knee problem in the build-up to this game.

HT: Republic 0 Cameroon 1.

45 min: Wome's ball in is headed clear by McAteer and the referee brings the half to a close.

45 min: Cameroon look content to see out the half by knocking the ball around at the back. But then Geremi breaks forward and forces a corner off Breen.

45 min: The fourth official has signalled there will be two minutes of added time at the end of the half.

45 min: Harte's drilled free-kick is diverted goalwards by Song but Alioum is equal to the task and he plunges on top of the ball.

44 min: Ireland's heads seem to have dropped since the goal and they are struggling to string passes together now, although Duff has forced a free-kick down the right.

42 min: Mboma is looking livelier by the minute and his left-footed volley from 25 yards is just off target. Mboma was on the end of a great Geremi cross there.

42 min: Mboma looks to break on to a fine ball from Foe, but he's just strayed offside.

39 min: GOAL - MBOMA. Eto'o breaks past Staunton down the right flank and knocks the ball in to Mboma who slides the ball into an empty net from seven yards out.

38 min: Mboma tumbles in the area under pressure from Breen but the striker doesn't even appeal for a penalty.

37 min: Staunton does superbly to get back and head over his own bar. Lauren was the man with the floated cross from the right which was arrowing towards Song's head.

36 min: Eto'o earns himself a little bit of space down the right but Harte tracks back well to concede the corner down the right.

36 min: Tchato returns to the field after treatment.

35 min: Eto'o knocks the ball back to Foe and the former West Ham man rifles in a shot from all of 35 yards which floats a yard over the bar.

34 min: McAteer returns the ball to Cameroon as play restarts.

34 min: Tchato leaves the field on a stretcher, while Kalla stays on.

33 min: Tchato and Kalla collide in mid-air and both go down after a clash of heads. The referee halts play immediately and the physios race on.

32 min: Nice link play in the inside-right channel from Cameroon but Eto'o's looped ball in is three yards ahead of Mboma and Ireland clear.

31 min: Geremi floats the ball over from the right flank but Breen climbs highest to head clear for Ireland.

30 min: McAteer is the first man into referee Toru Kamikana's notebook for pulling down Salomon Olembe.

29 min: Harte's lofted corner finds Holland at the back post but his header is off target.

28 min: Duff and Kilbane continue to link up well down the left flank and the latter forces a corner on that side.

27 min: Kinsella shows great tenacity to shut down Lauren and prevent the Arsenal man from getting a shot away.

26 min: Kalla works himself some space and shoots from distance, but it's straight at Given who gathers it easily.

25 min: Cameroon knock the ball around confidently but now it is they who are struggling for the final ball up to their strikers.

23 min: Eto'o is getting a little frustrated with his lack of service and he is pulled up for a silly foul on Kelly.

22 min: Another corner for Ireland, this one off Kalla. They take it quickly and Kilbane's floated cross finds Keane in space. His header drifts across the goal and is a yard wide.

21 min: McAteer's ball in is swell claimed by Alioum under pressure from Breen. He sets Camerron on the attack but Foe is pulled up after clashing with Breen.

20 min: Duff forces a corner down the left off Song as Ireland break quickly.

20 min: Kalla is penalised for pulling down Breen as the flag-kick comes in.

19 min: Mbomba and Samuel Eto'o link up well and the latter breaks one-on-one with Given, who races from goal to save bravely. Holland concedes the corner.

18 min: Keane does well to turn Kalla and is hauled down. The Leeds man picks himself up to have a shot from the free-kick, but Alioum is equal to the task.

17 min: Raymond Kalla, who is being watched by Portsmouth, does well to hold off Keane and allow Boukar Alioum to claim Kelly's long ball from right-back.

16 min: Given does well to control and clear an awkward back-pass from Staunton.

14 min: A good spell of Irish possession ends as Breen is pulled up for a push just inside the Cameroon half.

13 min: Mboma shoots wildly from long range with Given slightly off his line.

11 min: Given claims the flag-kick well under pressure from Mboma. That will settle the Ireland defence after their keeper looked shaky just seconds ago.

10 min: Geremi crosses well from the right and Given punches poorly under pressure from Lauren. Staunton cleans up and concedes a corner.

9 min: Holland heads forward to Kilbane, but the wingman has strayed offside down the left flank.

8 min: Cameroon look to spread the ball quickly from right to left but Kelly dives in to halt the break as it reaches the edge of the Ireland area.

7 min: Holland's crunching tackle leaves Foe on the turf. The former West Ham man gets back to his feet without needing treatment and play continues with a Cameroon throw down the left.

6 min: Breen looks to play the ball over the top to Keane but again Wome comes out on top.

5 min: Ireland have knocked the ball around nicely in the early stages, but as soon as it is played forward the Cameroon defenders break out to clear.

4 min: Ireland get their first free-kick as Keane is pulled down by Foe in midfield.

3 min: Kelly floats over a cross from the right which is just behind Kilbane. The Sunderland winger had got clear of his marker Geremi but failed to connect properly.

2 min: McAteer looks to break down the right but Bill Tchato gets across to concede a throw deep in his own half.

1 min: The first free-kick goes Cameroon's way as Kilbane is pulled up for handball just inside his own half. Pierre Wome looks to float it over but Kilbane blocks well.

0 min: After both teams emerge from their pre-match huddles, Cameroon get the game underway.

Pre-match: The team news is in. Ireland line up with Shay Given in goal and Gary Kelly, Gary Breen, Steve Staunton and Ian Harte in defence. The midfield is Jason McAteer, Matt Holland, Kevin Kilbane and Mark Kinsella with Damien Duff and Robbie Keane up front.

Familiar faces in the Cameroon line-up include Rigobert Song, Lauren, Marc-Vivien Foe and Patrick Mboma.