Hollywood newcomer Robbie Keane fluffed his lines as he passed up a glorious

opportunity to keep the Republic of Ireland firmly in the race for the Euro 2012

finals.

The 31-year-old LA Galaxy striker, who missed a penalty in the reverse fixture

in October, headed wide from just five yards with 16 minutes of a distinctly

uncomfortable contest against Slovakia remaining to let slip a victory his side

never really deserved.

Substitute Simon Cox was similarly wasteful after being set up by Keane six

minutes from time as the Republic conceded two points to Russia in the race to

top Group B.

Ireland head for Moscow on Tuesday night knowing victory is essential if they

are to pip the Russians, who had beaten Macedonia 1-0 earlier in the evening, to

automatic qualification.

Ten years and a day since their famous World Cup qualifier win over Holland,

Giovanni Trapattoni's side only really threatened to take the game by the scruff

of the neck in a frenetic conclusion.

Up until that point, the Slovakians had handled them with little difficulty and

might have claimed all three points had it not been for keeper Shay Given.

A record sixth successive clean sheet was little consolation to Trapattoni's

men as a must-win game yielded only a point, and their dejection was clear as

they trudged off the pitch at the Aviva Stadium with boos ringing in their

ears.

Slovakia left Dublin by far the happier, and Ireland could yet find themselves

in third place in the group on Tuesday night if Vladimir Weiss' side better

their result when they face Armenia in Zilina.

Ireland headed into the game brimming with confidence on the back of a

five-game unbeaten run and looking to lay the foundation for victory with

another shut-out.

They reached half-time with 50% of that mission completed, but having shown

little sign of the form which accounted for Macedonia in Skopje and then Italy

in Liege in June.

Having drawn 1-1 in Slovakia, they knew Weiss' men would be no push-over, and

just how much of a threat the visitors represented quickly became clear.

Ireland were disjointed to say the least, and as Slovakia grew in confidence,

it was they who looked the more likely to open the scoring.

Given was grateful to see Vladimir Weiss Junior, the manager's son, fire

straight at him with 19 minutes gone, and the Aston Villa man had to get down

well to his left nine minutes later to claw Filip Holosko's header out of the

bottom corner.

Trapattoni's suspicion that Slovakian playmaker Marek Hamsik would start

despite being rated at only 50-50 with a knee injury on the eve of the game

proved correct.

He linked repeatedly with Juraj Kucka behind him and Miroslav Stoch and Holosko

ahead of him, and as full-backs Peter Pekarik and Marek Cech exploited the space

behind opposite numbers Stephen Ward and John O'Shea, Ireland found themselves

stretched.

But for all that, it was they who created the best opening of the half,

although they had to wait until the 38th minute to do so.

Damien Duff came off the right wing to play a one-two with Keith Andrews and

continued his run into the box to receive the return pass.

Duff's left-foot shot clipped Martin Skrtel on its way to goal, but the

deflection failed to wrong-foot keeper Jan Mucha, who managed to beat it away.

Ireland returned after the break no doubt having been told in no uncertain

terms that they would have to be much better in the second half, and they

resumed in determined fashion.

Both sides had penalty appeals correctly waved away by Portuguese referee Pedro

Proenca inside the opening four minutes after Weiss went down under Aiden

McGeady's challenge and then Glenn Whelan collided with Pekarik at the other

end.

Duff fired over the angle of bar and post with 58 minutes gone, but his side

would have been behind three minutes later had Sean St Ledger not blocked

Hamsik's goal-bound shot with his chest after Holosko had got in behind Richard

Dunne and teed up his captain.

Trapattoni introduced Cox as a 64th-minute replacement for Kevin Doyle, but

with Weiss terrorising the home defence, Given was seeing far more of the ball

than Mucha.

However, the chance of which Keane would have dreamt last night finally arrived

with 16 minutes remaining when Duff curled in the perfect cross from the right

wing.

Keane met the ball with a firm header just five yards out, but somehow powered

his effort wide with Mucha hopelessly exposed.

Cox might have spared Keane's blushes six minutes from time when he ran on to

the former Tottenham frontman's lay-off, but he dragged his shot wide of the

post.