Scot's Get Snore Draw

The B international returned to the Irish football calendar with more of a whimper than a bang.

This was the Republic of Ireland's first match at this level for almost eight years, with the previous game resulting in 10 of the 17 players on duty that night subsequently earning caps at senior level.

Ireland manager Steve Staunton is hoping for a similar return as he builds for the future, and in particular the 2010 World Cup.

But there was little to enthral the watching Staunton as these two sides ground out a sterile goalless draw in which there were precious few chances at Dublin's Dalymount Park.

Not even the future golden boy of Irish football in Anthony Stokes raised the game above the mundane following his arrival in the 52nd minute.

To be fair to Stokes, the Arsenal youngster who has scored 10 goals in his last six loan games with Falkirk, did play the 90 minutes of last night's 1-1 draw with Hearts in the Scottish League.

It was perhaps expecting too much of the 18-year-old to brighten up this dull affair, although he did create two of the pitifully few meaningful second-half chances.

The opening half was marginally more entertaining than the second, with Hibernian right-back Steven Whittaker narrowly drilling wide the first chance in the 12th-minute.

Three minutes later the pace of Newcastle winger Alan O'Brien, who already has a senior cap to his name, prised Scotland open on the left.

With Keogh and Roy O'Donovan subsequently involved, the move ended in Cork midfielder Joe Gamble firing over the bar.

Scotland soon responded courtesy of a mistake in the home defence that allowed Rangers striker Kris Boyd an angled left-foot strike.

But Boyd, who scored twice for the senior side in their 6-0 romp over the Faroe Islands earlier this season, was denied by Darren Randolph.

The Scottish defence appeared to be in trouble just before the half hour, when Gamble robbed Stephen Pearson outside the area,

However, Gamble's pass into O'Donovan was too pacy, and although the shot was on target, it allowed Norwich goalkeeper Paul Gallacher to make a point-blank block.

There was a moment of controversy in the 42nd minute when Premier League referee Martin Atkinson awarded Scotland a free-kick on the edge of the area.

Alex Bruce's challenge on Scott Brown led to the Hibs midfielder tumbling in the box, resulting in Scottish protests that it should have been a penalty.

Atkinson was unmoved, and from the dead-ball chance, Boyd drove a crisp shot into the sidenetting.

The expected plethora of substitutions followed over the course of the second period, naturally disrupting the game's rhythm.

After Scunthorpe striker Keogh had a 50th-minute, 22-yard drive smartly saved by Gallacher, the crowd had to wait 25 minutes for the next opportunity.

It was Stokes who picked out Keogh in the heart of the area with a low cross, but a scuffed shot and a comfortable take for Gallacher was the end result.

Eight minutes later, Stokes set up Gamble for a curling shot that brought the best save of the game from Gallacher, with Randolph and 86th-minute replacement Darren Quigley untested in the second period.

Rep of Ireland B: Randolf, Foley, McCarthy, Bruce, Emmanuel, Gamble, McPhail, Gibson, O'Brien, Keogh, O'Donovan.
Subs: Quigley, O'Cearuill, Frecklington, Potter, Long, Stokes, Hunt.

Scotland B: Gallacher, Whittaker, Webster, Broadfoot, Steven Smith, Naismith, Stewart, Scott Brown, Clark, Pearson, Boyd.
Subs: Mark Brown, Greer, McEveley, Adam, Miller.

Ref: Martin Atkinson (England).