England make good start

England claimed three vital points in their Four Nations opener, as they edged a close encounter against a spirited Republic side.

The win, the third in a row was also significant in that it was the fourth consecutive game in which the England side had kept a clean sheet. There was a crowd of over 2,500 on a grey damp evening to see an Irish side which included five players from the host club Cork City, take on an England side with Kieran Charnock and DJ Campbell making their first starts for Paul Fairclough's side.

With Simon King confined to the hotel with a virus, late replacements Craig Mackail-Smith and Glen Southam featured on the bench following the late withdrawals of the Grays Athletic pair of Dennis Oli and Mitchell Cole. following injuries sustained in the FA Trophy Final.

The game began at a fast pace, although there were not many chances in the opening stages. Ray Lally and David Tyrell combined to good effect in the fourth minute, but Nikki Bull displayed customary good handling by cutting out the latter's cross-cum-shot.

Ireland were hunting in packs for the ball, denying their opponents the space to play, but Adam Stansfield found Anthony Elding soon afterwards, and the Stevenage striker raced forward before firing over the bar from 15 yards.

Nicky Bailey, the side's creative hub throughout, initiated a promising move on 13 minutes when he found Stansfield to nod onto Dean Sinclair, but Campbell couldn't quite finish Scott Kerr's chipped ball into the area. Moments later, Stansfield's header looped wide, and Sinclair and Bailey were both unable to convert from close range.

There continued to be little to choose between the sides, with much of England's promise coming down the flanks. Elding and Stansfield showed neat interplay to find Sinclair, but he lifted his shot over the bar, before Lally had a free-kick glancedbehind for a corner to the hosts, from which Gerry Gill screwed his shot wide.

Bailey continued to be lively on the right, but at times in the first half, the final ball was lacking from an English perspective. However, it was a Simon Travis cross from the right which saw Hereford teammate Stansfield loop a header over the bar on 27 minutes.

Ireland, though, enjoyed a bright spell on the half-hour mark as Tyrell intercepted a pass and set up Kieran Harte for a crisp turn and shot which was cleanly gathered by Bull.

The Aldershot Town keeper excelled himself again as he crucially cut out a low cross from Shane Long, with Connor Sammon lurking, and the hosts went close again when, from Gill's corner, Shane Guthrie's header flew over the bar. England closed the action of the half as Campbell shot wide and then set up Bailey in first half stoppage time, but Mark McNulty took his cross-cum-shot.

England emerged after the break far sharper in attack as Bailey forced Guthrie to concede a corner following a strong run down the right, although Ireland had a decent chance in the 49th minute when Gill's cross field ball found Long, but he cracked the ball across the face of goal.

McNulty was being called in action far more by now, as the visitors began to add a final product to promising approach work, as an angled strike from Stansfield was gathered before Bailey supplied the pass for a well-struck 20 yard drive by Mark Robinson which was saved.

Bailey threatened himself with a teasing touchline free-kick on 56 minutes, but again Ireland replied as good work from Kevin Murray gave Tyrell a chance he failed to take, as his low shot went wide.

A purposeful break from Sinclair saw him pass to Stansfield, but McNulty again claimed the deflected strike, as his side just lacked a clinical touch at the other end. This was certainly the case on 62 minutes as Bull fumbled a Long header, only for Tyrell to strike wide again.

The hosts opted for a change moments later as Jamie Nolan was introduced for Gill, but the ensuing minutes brought a spell of England pressure which contained the decisive goal. Stansfield twisted in off the left flank again, but his shot was cleared for a corner, from which Elding headed on and Kerr's low shot was kept out.

Campbell then surged forward from an ineffective Ireland flag-kick, only for Brian Gannon to make a superb block. It was only a brief respite, though, as from a Bailey corner, Elding hooked the ball over the defence and keeper from 12 yards and into the net.

Further substitutions followed as Barry McGory replaced Ireland's Sammon in the aftermath of the goal, and a further injury blow saw Travis stretchered off to be replaced by Stephen Haslam. As England sought to control possession and keep in the lead, chances were at a relative premium, although they could have had a second with 78 minutes played.

Elding fed the ball in from the left wing as Ireland failed to clear, but Sinclair's powerful 25 yarder cleared the crossbar. Stansfield made way for Andy Taylor, as the game entered its last ten minutes, but Bull was called into action as Lally's pass was flicked towards McGory but the keeper pushed the ball away for a corner.

This was not cleared, and Bull made another good save from Nolan's far post header. The visitors might have wrapped it up with three minutes remaining, though, as, from a Yakubu clearance, Kerr and Campbell surged forward, only for the latter to be denied by an impeccably-timed tackle.

Bailey made way for Craig Stanley in the last few minutes, and there was a late scare as the ball flicked about the area; Long going close with a header, but crucially McGory and Nolan both proving unable to convert the loose ball. The threat over, England held out for the win, ahead of an intriguing encounter with holders Wales at the Mardyke Sports Centre in Cork on Thursday evening.

England National Game manager Paul Fairclough was pleased with his side's efforts: "It was a typical bulldog-spirited job. They were a good side, but so are we- there was mental toughness running throughout our team. They refused not to win and accept the 0-0 draw.

"You could see in the second half we were the better team, but it was fair competition in the first half- we got stronger and stronger though. There were some big performances out there tonight; when you've got quality in the side you've always got a good chance.

"What was good in the second half was that we passed the ball well and the way we killed the game off at the end was very professional. This is a really difficult tournament over three days, and coming out of here tonight, we're walking wounded. I'm absolutely thrilled with tonight's performance!"

The victory was however marred by news that Simon Travis would miss the remainder of the Tournament with a fractured rib.

Team Details

Ireland: McNulty (Cork City); Gannon (UCD), Guthrie (Cork City), McChrystal (Derry City), Lally (Cork City); Gill (Derry City), Murray (Cork City), Harte (UCD), Tyrell (Shelbourne); Long (Cork City), Sammon (UCD)
Subs: Nolan (Limerick) for Gill 62 mins; McGrory (Bray Wanderers for Sammon 70.

England: Bull (Aldershot Town); Travis (Hereford Utd), Yakubu (Barnet), Charnock (Northwich Victoria), Robinson (Hereford Utd); Bailey (Barnet), Sinclair (Barnet), Kerr (Scarborough), Elding (Stevenage Borough); Stansfield (Hereford Utd), Campbell (Yeading)
Subs: Haslam (Halifax Town) for Travis 77; Taylor (Exeter City), for Stansfield 79; Stanley (Hereford Utd) for Bailey 88.

Referee: Mr. N. Morgan (Wales).