Trap is preparing his first change of the evening and it looks like it’s going to be… Stephen Hunt. Hold your fire, McClean fans. 9:10PM It’s actually a double substitution for Ireland. Whelan and Duff go off, Green and Hunt come on. And just in case anyone needed reminding, the Sky cameras cut to a shot of James McClean and Shane Duffy chatting away on the bench. 9:14PM Two more changes for the Czechs: Rajtoral and Pilar on for Gebreselassie and Petrzela. Nothing much else to report… 9:16PM Oooh, that really could’ve been the equaliser for Ireland.
Ward is playing him on by a yard or two and, as the rest of the Irish defence throw their hand in the air and look around for a flag, Baros slips it past Given. 9:05PM Miguel Delaney has described that as “possibly the worst goal that Ireland have conceded under Trapattoni. ” He’s normally right about these things. 9:06PM Long springs the offside trap and has plenty of time out wide on the left. Instead of crossing to Keane in the box, he pulls it back to Duff on the edge of the area, but his curling effort is high and wide. 9:08PM Two more changes for the Czechs. Kolar and Lafata on for Stajner and the goalscorer, Baros.
Stajner plays the ball into Baros from deep and nips in behind Stephen Ward’s back to collect the return. He fires a shot in at the near post but it comes back off Given’s legs and behind for a corner. 7:56PM Another nervy moment at the back for Ireland as Given’s attempted clearance comes straight back off Rezek. It falls kindly though, and the keeper pounces on it before the lurking Stajner can capitalise.
It’s McGeady again who provides the cross, finding Darren O’Dea who jumps uncontested six yards out only to head the ball straight at Cech. Almost a carbon copy of Long’s chance in the first minute. 9:18PM And there’s another chance for Ireland — Keith Andrews with a daisy-cutter from almost 30 yards out. Straight at Cech. 9:19PM Cox and Walters come on to replace Keane and Doyle up front for the final 20 minutes. Walters’s first contribution is to win a long ball, teeing it up for Paul Green who forces Cech to get down to stop his shot from the edge of the box.
As it happened: Republic of Ireland v Czech RepublicAS IT HAPPENED As it happened: Republic of Ireland v Czech Republic We were at the Aviva Stadium for the first of Ireland’s pre-Euro 2012 warm-up games. Here’s the minute-by-minute report. We went minute-by-minute LIVE from the Aviva Stadium for tonight’s Euro 2012 warm-up match between the Republic of Ireland and the Czech Republic. James McClean was there — were you? As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this evening’s action. E-mail niall@thescore.
9:22PM The fresh legs have given Ireland a bit of zip up front. Walters stands his ground against Kadlec, but the Czech centre-half goes down like he’s been shot. Which he hasn’t, obviously. That would be serious. Tonight’s attendance is 37, 741. Not too shabby for a friendly. 9:24PM Some suspect defending by Ireland there. The Czech right-full Rajtoral makes an absolute monkey out of Hunt inside the box, and then just as it looks like the danger is cleared, Andrews tries to back-heel the ball to safety. Silly stuff.