Republic of Ireland welcomed Kazakhstan to the Aviva Stadium tonight hoping to end their World Cup qualifying campaign with victory under caretaker manager Noel King.
The visitors took a shock 12th-minute lead when Dmitriy Shomko found the top corner with a left-footed piledriver from 30 yards out, but a handball from his teammate Aleksandr Kislitsyn gifted Ireland a penalty just moments later.
Robbie Keane tucked away the spot kick for his 61st international goal, before John O'Shea found the net in Ireland colours for the first time in 10 years to complete a first-half turnaround.
A result that ensures the Republic will be second seeds for 2016 European Championships qualification was secured when Shomko scored at the wrong end, following good work from Anthony Stokes and Aiden McGeady.
Below, you can read how the action unfolded in Dublin.
Evening, all! There may not be much more than Irish pride riding on this match, but the hosts will be desperate to end a run of five winless qualifiers with a victory that is expected of them tonight.
Remember, Ireland's hopes of booking their ticket to Brazil 2014 were ended following defeats to Sweden and Austria in their qualifying double header last month. Of the home nations, it is only England who have anything significant to play for this evening.
I am sure Irish fans will not thank me for reminding them of that, so I shall get back to focusing on matters in Dublin, and will start by revealing Noel King's team selection...
ROI: Forde; Coleman, Dunne, O'Shea, Wilson; Gibson, McCarthy, Reid; Stokes, Doyle, Keane
Ireland's caretaker boss has named an attacking lineup then, restoring fit-again Robbie Keane to his starting XI. The LA Galaxy forward missed the 3-0 loss to Germany on Friday with an ankle injury.
He will form part of a three-man attack, with support coming from Kevin Doyle and Anthony Stokes, who are likely to often come in off their base positions on the wing to join Keane in the box.
There are several changes made at the back, with Damien Delaney, Ciaran Clark and Stephen Kelly all left out in favour of a very experienced central-defensive pair.
Queens Park Rangers veteran Richard Dunne and Sunderland captain John O'Shea, who have 180 international caps between them, come in after missing the trip to Cologne. Something tells me that they may have a quieter night than Clark and company did on Friday.
Marc Wilson was employed in midfield, where he has mostly been used Stoke City this season, against the Germans. Tonight, though, he is required at what is a more familiar left-back role.
His place in the centre of the park goes to Nottingham Forest midfielder Andy Reid, who has scored five goals in his last five Championship games. That selection is evidence of King's attacking intent.
Keane, Ireland's all-time leading goalscorer, takes back his captain's armband upon returning to the team. Everton full-back Seamus Coleman skippered the side last time out on his 24th birthday.
There is actually extra incentive on tonight's result for the Irish, who must win to guarantee that they are in the second-seed pot for the draw for 2016 European Championships qualification.
Aiden McGeady, Shane Long, Wes Hoolahan and James McClean are the attacking options at King's disposal if there comes a point in the game when he feels that more pace or creativity is needed.
Ireland will be hoping that their evening is comfortable enough that they will not need to call on their reserves to make a game-changing impact. That was not the case in the reverse fixture, though...
After falling behind to a goal from Kairat Nurdauletov last September, Kevin Doyle came off the bench to net an 89th-minute equaliser, before Keane put away a late penalty to snatch Ireland the win.
Nurdauletov is not in the Kazakhstan lineup tonight. Here is the visiting XI...not many recognisable names among this bunch...
KAZAKHSTAN: Sidelnikov; Engel, Gurman, Kislitsyn, Dmitrenko; Chshyotkin, Karpovich, Baizhanov, Shomko, Khizhnichenko; Korobkin
Of those players, only one plies their trade outside of Kazakhstan - Konstantin Engel. The right-back plays for German second-tier side FC Ingolstadt 04, who were only founded in 2004.
PREDICTION: Kickoff imminent in Dublin, just about time for a prediction! I think Ireland are in for a fairly comfortable night, and I expect Keane to net in a two or three-goal win. 3-0 Ireland.
Kazakhstan get is underway at the Aviva Stadium...
The visitors, on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw to Faroe Islands, have started with plenty of possession. When Ireland get on the ball, Gibson misplaces a return pass to Coleman into touch.
SHOT! Reid takes a strike from long range, and even with the deflection, it should have been a simple take for Sidelnikov, who parries out towards Keane but wide enough so that the Ireland captain cannot get a shot away.
One third of the pitch, currently the final third for Ireland, looks to have recently been relayed and therefore may have a few bumps in it. That doesn't excuse Sidelnikov's shoddy glove work, though.
CHANCE! Reid fizzes a beautiful ball into the near post, and Keane makes an unchecked run to meet it with the deftest of flicks that is straight at the Kazak goalkeeper. That would certainly have troubled Sidelnikov if it was a yard either side of him.
CLOSE! After Korobkin's shot is blocked by O'Shea, Shomko whips the follow-up ball into the box, and Baizhanov beats Forde to the cross, but heads just wide.
GOAL! ROI 0-1 Kazakhstan (Shomko)
Kazakhstan lead, and this is a goal that you would expect to see from a player representing a much more renowned footballing nation! Coleman's miscued clearance falls to the winger 30 yards out, and he unleashes an unstoppable shot that curves just inside Forde's far post. Incredible strike!
GOAL! ROI 1-1 Kazakhstan (Keane)
A moment of madness from Kislitsyn, who sticks out a hand at the back post to literally tip Reid's free-kick delivery away from the head of Dunne. A certain penalty, which Keane puts away with confidence for his 61st international goal.
He is as reliable as anyone from the penalty spot, is the Ireland captain. He stuttered in his run up before sending Sidelnikov the wrong way with a side-footed finish into the corner. Shomko will be furious that a moment of stupidity has cancelled out his outstanding opener.
A lively start in Dublin, then. No goals as yet at Wembley, where England's crucial match with Poland is underway. I will keep you updated with goals as and when they go in.
After the Kazak's bright opening, the hosts are beginning to dominate the ball. Reid seems to have been given a free role in midfield and most of Ireland's attacking play is going through him.
Nice interplay between Stokes and Keane, who play a one-two about 30 yards out. Keane cannot get the ball out of his feet to get a shot away, so instead shifts it left for Wilson to cross off a Kazak body and behind for a corner.
GOAL! ROI 2-1 Kazakhstan (O'Shea)
Ten years after his last international goal, John O'Shea has found the net again to complete an early Ireland turnaround! Reid sends a corner to the back post, where Dunne wins a header which should have been held by Sidelnikov. It wasn't though, and O'Shea was on hand to smash the loose ball into the net from six yards.
This game has followed the same pattern as the reverse fixture, with Kazakhstan taking the lead, only for Ireland to reply for a 2-1 scoreline. This time, though, there is Ireland to add to their winning margin and, looking at the visiting goalkeeper, I certainly expect them to do so.
Shomko seems to be the one Kazak player with a bit of quality on the ball. He certainly has a wonderful left foot, with which he delivers another dangerous cross which Wilson has to deal with under pressure from Baizhanov at the far stick.
SUBSTITUTION: An early change from the visitors, who bring on striker Andrei Finonchenko for Kislitsyn, the man who needlessly gave away the Ireland penalty. No sign of an injury.
There is a sign of an injury for the Republic though, as Gibson stays grounded following a challenge with Finonchenko. The Kazak substitute didn't seem to make much contact, so it must have been Gibson's awkward landing which has caused him some unrest.
SUBSTITUTION: More than some unrest, in-fact. A stretcher is required to take the Everton midfielder off the field. Watching Toffees manager Roberto Martinez is certainly a concerned spectator as Gibson is carried off to be replaced by Glenn Whelan.
These personnel changes and interruptions have disrupted this game somewhat. Ireland do not have the same control over the ball as they did just after their second goal, and Kazakhstan are seeing more of it, although in a very defensive area.
The Kazak substitution has seen Shomko, who was certainly proving to be Kazakhstan's biggest attacking threat, drop into left-back. He is still determined to get forward though, and a run which sees him skip past Doyle ends up with him having a shot blocked by Whelan.
On the same flank, Coleman takes the chance to dribble with the ball as he does so well for Everton. He beats two Kazak men before being stopped by Shomko, who demonstrates his ability to defend as well as attack.
Better from Ireland, who moved the ball just a bit quicker which created some space for Reid to cross from the left. Doyle wins the knockdown at the back post, but is penalised for a push on Dmitrenko.
We are entering first-half stoppage time, which, because of Gibson's injury, will be FOUR minutes...
We are entering first-half stoppage time, which, because of Gibson's injury, will be FOUR minutes...
HALF-TIME: ROI 2-1 Kazakhstan
A match that started in spectacular fashion, with three goals in the opening 25 minutes, including an absolute wonder-goal from Kazakstan's Dmitriy Shomko, has slightly fizzled out as the players leave the pitch for the break.
Shomko found the top corner with a 30-yard left-footed bullet, but will be furious with what followed. His teammate, Aleksandr Kislitsyn, unexplainably handled at the back post to gift Ireland a penalty and a way back into the match, with Robbie Keane took with a typically calm finish.
John O'Shea ended his 10-year wait for an international goal soon after to complete the first-half comeback, but Ireland's first 45 minutes was blighted by what looked like a nasty injury to Darron Gibson, who left the field on a stretcher after an awkward landing appeared to twist his knee.
UPDATE! It is also half time at Wembley, where England go into the break with a 1-0 advantage thanks to a 40th-minute Wayne Rooney header. Andros Townsend also hit the crossbar in an impressive first-half display from the Three Lions.
STATS: Ireland have had a healthy 64% of possession, and seven shots, four of which have tested the unconvincing Andrei Sidelnikov in the Kazak goal. The visitors have only registered one shot on target - Shomko's outstanding long-range opener, which may well be the best goal his country has ever scored.
We are back underway in Dublin...
CHANCE! Karpovich misjudges a punt forward by Richard Dunne and ends up getting underneath it. Keane controls it well, spins but does not connect well with a low shot that bobbles wide.
Reid gets to the left byline and chips a cross towards the back post, which is just above Keane. He lays back to Coleman, who is thwarted after a one-two with Doyle had put him in a crossing position.
UPDATE: We are hearing that Darron Gibson has suffered suspected knee ligament damage. He will have a scan when he returns to club side Everton tomorrow. If the immediate diagnosis is correct, that could be a season-ending injury for the midfielder.
Roberto Martinez is watching through his hands in the stands as another of his midfielders, McCarthy, goes down clutching his leg after horribly mistiming his jump and landing heavily on his knee.
Good stuff from Ireland, as Dunne finds Doyle with an excellent pass through the middle. The Wolves man turns before shifting the ball left for Reid to cross. Keane is waiting, but Sidelnikov comes to claim with more certainty than he did anything in the first period.
A clever flick from Reid releases Stokes into the area, and the Celtic forward really should take the shot on. Instead, he plays a return pass to Reid, whose shot from a tight angle is deflected behind.
What was I saying about the goalkeeper looking more convincing? He flaps at a Reid corner, but is fortunate that his mistake is unpunished as Doyle's volley across goal is high and wide.
SHOT! A cross from Stokes is cleared towards Whelan, who shows excellent technique to get over his volley, but does not connect too cleanly and the ball bobbles wide.
CHANCE! A combination of Reid's fine deliveries and some poor Kazak defending has meant Ireland have been dangerous from corners all evening. Wilson is the latest to threaten with a glancing header that drifts not far past the post.
SUBSTITUTION: Kazakhstan make a change to try and introduce a new attacking option to their side, with the ineffective Aleksey Shchetkin replaced by Igor Yurin.
CLOSE! Yurin is involved almost instantly, as he cuts in from the Kazakhstan left and fires a low shot which bounces just in-front of Forde and wide of the post.
SHOT! Reid nearly marks his return to the international scene with a fantastic goal, as he spots Sidelnikov off his line, and attempts a 40-yard chip that loops just over the crossbar.
SHOT! Shomko tries his luck from range on that left foot again, collecting a pass from Karpovich before unleashing a shot which was always rising, and ends up some distance off target.
Noel King might want to think about freshening things up in his forward line. A third goal might be needed to kill this game off, and some pace in the shape of McGeady or McClean might do the trick, with Keane seemingly tiring and Stokes showing very little goalscoring threat.
SUBSTITUTION: King does make an alteration, but it is the excellent Andy Reid who is brought off. Spartak Moscow's Aiden McGeady comes on in his place and will play on the left, with Stokes shifting inside.
GOAL! ROI 3-1 Kazakhstan (Shomko og)
Ireland have their two-goal cushion. Stokes shows great determination to keep the ball in play with a smart back heel, which falls to McGeady. He surges into the box before squaring across the six yard box towards Doyle, who cannot finish as he tussles with Shomko. Keane is ready to pounce on the loose ball when the Kazakhstan defender's attempted clearance goes into his own net.
That should be that. Although, after a second look, it appears as though the ball may have just been out of play when Stokes flicked it back to McGeady. The Celtic man should be applauded for his effort though - many players would have simply allowed that to roll behind for a corner.
BLOCK! A Kazak corner is only partially cleared and lands at the feet of substitute Finonchenko, whose first-time shot is goal-bound, but blocked by Dunne.
SUBSTITUTION: The visitors make a late change as 32-year-old Karpovich is spared the final stages. He makes way for Pavel Shabalin, who is making his international debut.
SUBSTITUTION: Ireland follow suit by making their third substitution. Wes Hoolahan is given the final four minutes plus stoppage time, as the hard-working Antony Stokes is replaced.
Ireland seem content just to keep the ball in these final stages, with the only real purposeful play coming from Kazakhstan, who earn a free kick as Yurin draws a foul from Dunne's stretching leg.
We are now entering second-half stoppage time, of which there will be TWO minutes...
FULL-TIME: ROI 3-1 Kazakhstan
So, Ireland end what will be defined as a disappointing campaign with victory. Shomko gave them an early scare with his 30-yard thunderbolt, but the Kazakhstan player also scored at the other end as Noel King's hosts came from behind for a 3-1 triumph. Robbie Keane and John O'Shea were also on the scoresheet in a win that ends a run of five winless qualifiers for the Republic.
That is it from me for tonight. Stay tuned with Sports Mole to see if England can hang on to their 1-0 lead over Poland and book their spot at the 2014 World Cup! Thanks for joining us this evening...
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
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