B International/Republic of Ireland 0 Scotland 0: Whether Steve Staunton will have learned anything from this unsatisfactory revival of this fixture after a seven-year hiatus is questionable.
While the game started encouragingly, it petered out to a poor spectacle for the disappointingly small attendance of less than 3,000. Never did it appear likely to serve up the seven goals it last delivered at the Carlisle Grounds.
Hoping to enhance their reputations, several members of Pat Devlin's squad may feel they increased their expectations of a call-up, or recall, to the senior squad for February's away Euro 2008 clash with San Marino.
Though in truth perhaps only Paddy McCarthy, who took over the captaincy for the second half, did himself any real favours with a commanding performance in central defence.
While you felt Cardiff City midfielder Stephen McPhail, who captained the side in the first half, was the most obvious candidate in need of impressing, he never really imposed himself sufficiently to have one demanding his recall.
What it said of many of the other contenders that the two most influential players in the first half, at least, were Cork City pair Joe Gamble and Roy O'Donovan, is open to debate.
That said, immediate impressions were promising once Darron Gibson turned to lose a marker in midfield and put O'Donovan in through the inside-right channel before the second minute had elapsed.
O'Donovan, with perhaps a little more time to consider his options, got an early shot away which Scotland captain Andrew Webster blocked out for the first corner of the evening.
Belying his scintillatingly direct form for Cork City, O'Donovan was a trifle indecisive when again played into a good position minutes later, and his poor, low cross found no one.
The Scots, deploying an adventurous 4-3-3 line-up, settled well and worryingly carved Ireland open down the right in the guise of full-back Steven Whittaker, whose shot was a yard wide after a skilful run.
There was no shortage of invention by Ireland in the final third, however, and they produced the move of the first half on 15 minutes.
Alan O'Brien's pace got him free down the left. Andy Keogh helped the cross on for O'Donovan who put Gamble in first time. The disappointment was the finish: taken slightly off balance, the shot was well over the top.
The second half was more even as Scotland came out to play a little more, though the spectacle deteriorated as a glut of substitutions ensured it never regained the impetus of the first 45 minutes.
Irish defending stood indicted on 78 minutes for Scotland clearest chance of the game. Negligent marking from Michael Stewart's free-kick gave Stephen Naismith a shooting chance which Darren Randolph scrambled over the bar at the second attempt. Ireland responded well and might have snatched the goal the game needed so badly four minutes later. Anthony Stokes fed Gamble who worked the opening further to bring the save of the night from Brown at his left-hand post.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND B: Randolph (Charlton Athletic); Foley (Luton Town), McCarthy (Leicester City), Bruce (Ipswich Town), Emmanuel (Luton Town); Gamble (Cork City), McPhail (Cardiff City), Gibson (Royal Antwerp), O'Brien (Newcastle United); Keogh (Scunthorpe), O'Donovan (Cork City). Subs: Hunt (Reading) for O'Brien (44 mins), Potter (Wolverhampton Wanderers) for McPhail (half-time), Stokes (Falkirk), O'Cearuill (Arsenal), Frecklington (Lincoln City) for O'Donovan, Bruce and Gibson (all 51 mins), Long (Reading) for Keogh (77 mins), Quigley (UCD) for Randolph (86 mins).
SCOTLAND: Gallacher (Norwich City); Whittaker (Hibernian), Broadfoot (St Mirren), Webster (Wigan Athletic), Smith (Rangers); S Brown (Hibernian), Stewart (Hibernian), Pearson (Celtic); Naismith (Kilmarnock), Boyd (Rangers), Clark (Aberdeen). Subs: M Brown (Hibernian) for Gallacher (half-time), Miller (Aberdeen) and Greer (Kilmarnock) for S Brown and Broadfoot (both 53 mins), Adam (Rangers), McEveley (Blackburn Rovers) for Smith and Clark (both 60 mins).
Referee: Martin Atkinson (England).
