Robbie Keane kept the Republic of Ireland's dreams of automatic qualification for the World Cup alive with a last-gasp equaliser to deny 10-man Italy victory.

• Trap content to make a point

The Tottenham striker stabbed home an 87th-minute shot at the San Nicola

Stadium to claim a point that keeps Ireland within touching distance of the

Italians at the top of Group Eight.

It also ensured manager Giovanni Trapattoni a share of the spoils against his

home country and the man who replaced him as national boss, Marcello Lippi.

The reigning champions took an 11th-minute lead through Vincenzo Iaquinta

despite having had striker Giampaolo Pazzini sent off with only three minutes

gone.

But the Irish refused to give up and got their reward at the death as they

retained their foothold in the race to make it to South Africa next summer.

Early drama has become a feature of Ireland's recent games with Poland and

Georgia stunning the hosts at Croke Park by taking the lead within minutes of

kick-off and the Republic reversing the trend with Richard Dunne's opener only

40 seconds into Saturday's 1-1 draw with Bulgaria.

However, with Italian coaches Lippi and Trapattoni having prepared

painstakingly for an eagerly-anticipated contest, both had their plans ripped

apart before their players had broken sweat.

Kevin Kilbane, whose late own goal had handed the Bulgarians a point on

Saturday, clattered into Pazzini within a minute and was perhaps fortunate to

escape a yellow card.

The striker, making his first senior start for his country, was not quite so

lucky two minutes later when he caught John O'Shea with a flailing arm, which

drew blood and the red card from German referee Wolfgang Stark's pocket.

Replays suggested the decision had been harsh, a view certainly shared by the

home supporters, who had earlier jeered Lippi for his refusal to select

Bari-born Antonio Cassano.

But if Trapattoni sensed an opportunity, his hopes were dashed within eight

minutes as the world champions demonstrated their class in devastating style.

The mercurial Andrea Pirlo received the ball from full-back Fabio Grosso and

delivered it perfectly back into the defender's path to allow him to drill a

cross through the ineffectual Paul McShane.

Iaquinta was unmarked in the middle to dispatch the simplest of chances and any

perceived advantage for the visitors had been wrenched from their grasp.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, it was the supremely organised and

technically gifted Italians who were dominating the game and Trapattoni

uncharacteristically opted for a change with only 22 minutes gone.

The Republic boss has stuck rigidly to his favoured system since deciding that

was how best to make use of the players at his disposal.

But in withdrawing Andy Keogh, who had started wide on the right in place of

the injured Aiden McGeady, and sending on Hull striker Caleb Folan, he shuffled

his pack.

Keane dropped into the hole between a three-man midfield and frontmen Folan and

Kevin Doyle, and the change at least gave them a foothold in the game.

Midfielder Keith Andrews scuffed a 31st-minute effort wide when he should have

done better and Stephen Hunt forced a fine save from Gianluigi Buffon with a

half-volley five minutes before the break.

Few in green either on the pitch or in the stands would have been too

disappointed to see Pirlo replaced by Angelo Palombo for the restart and he was

quickly followed by Darron Gibson and Andrea Dossena as the two managers sought

to out-manoeuvre each other.

Hunt, who was soon to be joined on the pitch by brother Noel as Doyle made way,

had ambitious appeals for a 56th-minute penalty waved away after he went down

under Buffon's challenge but Ireland were at least starting to make an

impression.

But it was not until an enthralling final 10 minutes or so that the home side

wavered and, when they did, Ireland finally took advantage.

Kilbane saw an 84th-minute shot deflected over as the Italians became

increasingly edgy at the back and their anxiety was to increase markedly as time

ran down.

They finally cracked three minutes later when Folan made a nuisance of himself

as he pursued Given's long clearance and, when the ball broke from a scramble,

it fell to the right man in the right place.

Keane needed no second invitation to stab home the 38th goal of his senior

international career and send the travelling supporters behind Buffon's goal

into raptures.

It might have got even better for the Irish in the final minute of the game

when the stranded keeper could only look on imploringly as Glenn Whelan's shot

looped up off one of his defenders and dropped just wide.