A meeting of the organising committee of the Euro 2000 championship is today expected to confirm November 18th as the re-arranged date for the Republic of Ireland's game against Yugoslavia.

As yet, however, it is still uncertain whether it will go ahead in Belgrade, as originally scheduled, or if it will be taken to a neutral venue because of the on going security fears in the area.

FAI chief executive Bernard O'Byrne, who has been requested to contact UEFA today on the matter, said that they will have no fears about going to Belgrade if it is deemed safe to do so.

If, on the other hand, a decision is made on staging the fixture elsewhere, he wants it to be announced no less than a fortnight before the scheduled date.

"That is the latest cut-off point - we certainly don't want a repeat of the original problem in which we were still in the dark about arrangements only days before we were due to travel," he said.

"It's a huge logistical exercise, involving squad members and supporters, and it's imperative that we have at least a fortnight to make alternative arrangements if a change of venue is necessary.

"UEFA accept this point and have promised to facilitate us in every way they can. In the last analysis, however, everything is dependent on how the problems in Yugoslavia are resolved over the next 10 days or so."

More than 1,000 supporters had made bookings to travel for the original fixture, testimony to the renewal of the team's fortunes. In the wake of Wednesday's 5-0 success over Malta that figure could be higher - if the requisite assurances on safety can be delivered.

As Mick McCarthy and his players assessed the merits of the Maltese game yesterday, the general impression was of a job well done against limited opposition. "We're not being carried away by our achievement in scoring five times, neither are we understating it," said McCarthy.

"Games against teams like Malta can be no-win ones. Even if we put five past them, people regard it as nothing special. Lose and they're looking for blood. But scanning the results of Wednesday's European results, nobody scored as many as us - even against supposedly lesser teams.

"I for one am satisfied with what I saw in our performance, some quality play in midfield and superb finishing by Robbie Keane and Niall Quinn. That's a good basis to work on for our next game, even if will be against tougher opposition than that on Wednesday."

Robbie Keane, grown to cult status in just five appearances in the national team, continued to dominate the post-match discussion yesterday after a display which gave substance to his reputation as one of the brighter prospects in Britain or Ireland.

The second of Keane's goals bore all the hallmarks of a superb finisher, but gifted as Keane's performance undoubtedly was it ought not to obscure the contribution of the man playing alongside him, Niall Quinn. Playing only his third Ireland game in two years, his performance was at times superb, blending sharpness with the strength and intuition which has stood him in good stead over the years.

That was a big plus for McCarthy and he may get more good news over the weekend when Denis Irwin is set to resume light training at Manchester United. The initial diagnosis of Irwin's knee injury suggested that he would be out for two or three weeks, a schedule which would bring him inside the deadline for the Yugoslav game.

Jeff Kenna, solid and reliable, has seldom got the praise he deserves and under limited pressure did well again on Wednesday. Yet the manager would still welcome the option which a fully fit Irwin would provide.

David Connolly is certain to be available after serving his two-match international ban, but it is still not clear if Phil Babb will have recovered from the back injury which made him a non-starter against Malta.

Babb's broad international experience forms a useful part of McCarthy's armoury. Yet, it the rounded performance of Gary Breen on Wednesday, the manager may well have found cause for reassurance.

Glenn Hoddle revealed yesterday that he turned down the chance almost to treble his salary by extending his contract with the Football Association immediately after the World Cup.

Defending his right to a pay rise, despite England's disappointing performances since France 98, he recalled: "I was asked to sign a longer-term contract which would probably have trebled my money. I said I wanted time to think about it."

He told the FA he would not consider extending his current contract until after the Euro 2000 qualifying campaign but an outline agreement now seems to have been reached that his £250,000-a-year salary will eventually be increased by up to 40 per cent.