France Takes The Play-Off Lead, But It's Not Over Yet!

Republic of Ireland 0 France 1

A night of high expectation spawned an occasion of rare emotion as France took a critical one goal lead from the first leg of the World Cup play-off at Croke Park.

The contest may have lacked extravagance - the only goal stemmed from a deflection - but it was enjoined to a fascinating extent on a tactical level and was never less than totally absorbing and unpredictable.

Ultimately a more technically advanced and balanced France made their greater share of possession count so they now enjoy a significant advantage with the second leg set for their home venue at Stade de France on Wednesday.

Ireland emerged from the contest with enormous credit and will justifiably rubbish any suggestion that the tie is over. Their first defeat in eleven qualifying matches for the 2010 finals in South Africa was a set-back, but was not without encouragement.

Ireland created and lost chances before France's 72nd minute goal and one bounce of the ball their way would have impacted enormously on the trend of the game. For there were grounds for believing that this was Ireland's finest performance of the tournament.

France were clearly blessed with a more rounded, more balanced and more versatile game. They were countered by an Irish team who played with enormous discipline and magnificent commitment.

The decisive factor in the final analysis was exclusively physical. For Ireland were obliged to expend such energy in containing France that tiredness inevitably gnawed at their reserves and curtailed their ability to rebound effectively in attack in the closing quarter.

France enjoyed a much greater possession in the second half and that undermined Ireland's possibilities. For France used that possession cleverly and persistently to pull Ireland's defensive screen first one way, then the other, and made them work so intensively that the fuel was drained from their limbs.

In consequence France enjoyed a measure of superiority after the interval that was scarcely hinted at before half-time. For Ireland were sharp and decisive in their first half work, so driven in their pursuit of the ball that France were hustled into an enormous number of individual errors.

Ireland turned over possession so consistently and sprang at the French defence with such alacrity that they were comfortably the equal of France over that opening 45 minutes. Indeed they would not have been flattered had they claimed the goal that might have turned this tie upside-down

Kevin Doyle was immense in this period and he led the first incursion for the Irish in the 13th minute. He cut inside from the left on to Robbie Keane's pass to snap a left-foot shot at goal that clipped Gallas' heel without causing goalkeeper Lloris to adjust his position for the near post save.

The 28th minute produced an extraordinary scene of confusion in the French penalty area. Doyle headed a ball towards goal that broke encouragingly for Keane but as he drove into the six yards box, goalkeeper Lloris was out quickly to smother his shot and Liam Lawrence's follow-up effort flew heart-breakingly wide.

Lawrence was no more than ten yards out and looked certain to score with the goalkeeper scrambling to his feet but his shot deflected outside off Evra. The Irish appealed in vain for a corner kick.

Ireland enjoyed magnificent support from their vociferous fans in an attendance of 74,103 and the players responded brilliantly. They worked to exhaustion and remained on the pitch long after the final whistle to applaud their fans.

Those self-same fans were pulled out of their seats at the possibility of the goal they craved in the 31st minute. Whelan, Doyle, Keane and Doyle again combined before Doyle pulled the ball square from the left into the path of Keith Andrews.

He had time to compose himself and then, from 22 yards, suffered the agony of seeing his precise strike fly across Lloris and exasperatingly outside the far upright. This was Ireland operating at a confident, ambitious level. They hunted French players with the intensity of a greyhound coursing a hare and then swept forward at pace and in numbers to illustrate the depth of their resolve.

The second half was peppered with a greater number of French strikes on goal but Shay Given was impeccable in his work as always and a defiant Richard Dunne ensured that the defensive unit was tight as the skin on a drum. France, for all their possession, were given only fleeting glimpses of Given's goal-posts.

Ireland looked to have imposed themselves on the contest again when Henry struck a poor left-foot shot well wide from 30 yards in the 67th minute. His action was that of a man who was close to abandoning hope of ever penetrating Ireland's cover.

That feeling was accentuated when Ireland put together a sweeping move in the 68th minute to threaten once again. Keane linked with Duff as Whelan positioned himself to deflect a quick return into the clear for Duff. His cross was met by Doyle but his header flew narrowly over with Lawrence closing eagerly into a better position behind.

Evra infuriated the Irish players and the fans when he spurted into the penalty area and strained to touch a ball beyond Given and wide before theatrically throwing himself over the goalkeeper. The referee correctly waved away his appeals for a penalty as Ireland's defenders glowered.

Three minutes later the decisive moment arrived with deceptive stealth. Lassana Diarra angled a ball to Gourcuff on the fringe of the penalty area and he turned it into Anelka's path on the right of goal. The shot from 22 yards was far from explosive but as Given swayed to his right preparatory to his dive, the ball hit St. Ledger and the goalkeeper was wrong-footed.

Ireland laboured with a will in search of an equaliser but without the power or the pace of the opening half. Whelan almost snatched a goal in a sustained attack in the 87th minute when Keane heeled a pass to him inside the penalty area but again the alert Lloris was there to smother the shot.

So it is advantage France after a contest that was remarkable in that the referee was not obliged to produce one yellow card. France departed with the lead goal they believe will carry them into the finals.

It gives them a vital edge, of course, but Ireland have shown in this campaign that playing abroad carries no fears for them. Their studied and sustained efforts to overcome France were of such consequence that they have every reason to believe the tie is far from over.

France's manager Raymond Domenech emphasised as much when he said through an interpreter: "This match will last 180 minutes and we are only half-way. Ireland are well able to play, to impose themselves and we must be vigilant."

His caution reflected the respect that Ireland's spirited performance deserved.