Ireland 2 South Africa 1

Ireland 0 Greece 1

Mick McCarthy was forced to play an experimental side against Greece and the Irish paid for it as they gave away a sloppy goal to lose 1-0 in front of their own fans.

Without the services of Roy Keane, Niall Quinn, Gary Kelly and Ian Harte, McCarthy was always going to struggle to field a team which could compete for a full 90 minutes with a Greek team that have lost only three out of their last 23 internationals.

Steve Finnan, Richard Dunne and Barry Quinn all featured from the start but Quinn's night was cut short in the 34th minute when he had to be replaced because of a knee injury.

Robbie Keane looked as sharp as ever as he led the line for Ireland. The star teenager has an abundance of skill and it always seems to take two defenders to marshal him.

The only goal of the game came from Vassilos Lakis in the 15th minute when his mis-hit shot went through Steve Staunton's legs and swerved past an out-of-place Shay Given and into the centre of the goal.

Ireland dominated the possession for the remainder of the game but they were not rewarded with an equaliser and it is hard to know what lessons McCarthy could have learned from this exercise.

Ireland: Shay Given (Newcastle United), Kenny Cunningham - capt. (Wimbledon), Richard Dunne (Everton), Gary Breen (Coventry City), Steve Staunton (Liverpool), Barry Quinn (Coventry City), Steve Finnan (Fulham), Mark Kinsella (Charlton Athletic), Kevin Kilbane (Sunderland), Robbie Keane (Coventry City), David Connolly (Feyenoord).
Subs: Rory Delap (Derby County) for Barry Quinn 34; Dean Kiely (Charlton) for Shay Given 46; Alan Mahon (Tranmere Rovers) for David Connolly 54; Gary Doherty (Luton Town) for Steve Finnan 71.
Subs Not Used: Alan Maybury (Leeds United), Paul Butler (Sunderland)

Greece: Nikopolidis, Basinas, Venetidis, Dabizas, Ouzounidis, Poursanidis, Georgiadis, Amanatidis, Liberopoulos, Tsartas, Lakis.
Subs: T. Kiparissis for Tsartas 57; Zikos for Lakis 64; Goumas for Basinas 75; Niniadis for Georgiadis 88.
Subs Not Used: Mavrogenidis, Eleftheropoulos, Nalitzis.
Booked: Dabizas.
Goals: Lakis 15.

Referee: Hugh Dallas (Scotland).
Attendance: 23,157