SOCCER/Republic of Ireland v San Marino: Having themselves looked like a team of part-timers a little over a month ago in Nicosia, Steve Staunton's men get to meet the real thing at Lansdowne Road tonight when, unusually these days, the home players will be under pressure to live up to rather high expectations.

Staunton, like his players, has been at pains over the last few days to make it clear that taking three points is the primary target, with the number of goals scored very much a secondary issue. Against a side lying just eight places off the bottom of the world ranking list, however, only a comprehensive victory could be regarded as a good night's work by the home side.

The visitors' record certainly suggests that, however far Irish fortunes have fallen, they should still be able to overwhelm these opponents.

Giampaolo Mazza's side have won just one game in 16 years of international football (a friendly against Liechtenstein), and managed two points from competitive games in all that time. They have started the current campaign with two defeats - 13-0 to Germany and 7-0 to the Czech Republic - but the goalless run extends back six games during which they've conceded 40 times.

Even against that backdrop, Staunton would, of course, be asking for trouble if he started talking up the prospects of a big win. Instead, he made the point that his opposite number would arrive determined to avoid yet another hiding here. But when the Louthman went on to observe that Mazza had "tightened things up against the Czechs", there was more than a hint of unintentional damning with faint praise.

Though Clinton Morrison picked up a shin injury in yesterday's final training session in a clash with Stephen Kelly, Staunton can field a strong starting line-up, with Kevin Doyle, Shay Given and Richard Dunne returning to the team after missing the highly creditable 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic.

Jonathan Douglas, Wayne Henderson and Stephen Kelly are the ones to lose out from that night, and Staunton described all three as being "unlucky" given the quality of their performances last month.

Andy Reid retains his place in the centre of midfield from where, his manager hopes, the Charlton player will be able to help unlock a three-man central defence, while Paul McShane also stays on after an outstanding debut against the Czechs.

"We have to win this game if we want to achieve anything in the group," conceded Staunton. "If we're going to do that then we'll need a bit of cleverness, but we have the players to give us that. Everyone's important, the wide players and also Andy Reid, who I think will have just that little bit more (than Douglas) to break San Marino down, in addition to his set-pieces being excellent. Players like that, who can put the ball on a sixpence for the strikers, well, you can't buy that.

"It's very important too, though," he continued, "that Kevin Doyle and Robbie (Keane) get a hold of it. Whatever else you do, if your front men don't get a hold of things then you have problems."

The defenders, he hopes, are unlikely to be troubled, but he does see a significant difference between exerting a great deal of pressure on the opposition in a game played out almost exclusively in San Marino's half and actually getting the ball in the net.

"It'll be about concentration," he said.

"There'll be no complacency whatsoever on our part."

Assuming the home side do go about their task with the right attitude, then it is hard to see how San Marino can aspire to anything more than keeping the scoreline respectable.

Damien Duff hasn't excelled in the English Premiership for quite a while, but he and Kevin Kilbane should prove far too much of a handful for the visiting wing backs, while there should be scope for the likes of Dunne and John O'Shea to threaten from set-pieces.

An early goal would be a big boost for the hosts, who will be concerned about the potential for the crowd to become frustrated if the visitors hold out for any prolonged amount of time.

On balance, though, the Irish need to show that, even if they cannot beat the better sides these days, they can at least put away the minnows with conviction.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Given (Newcastle United); Finnan (Liverpool), McShane (West Brom), Dunne (Manchester City), O'Shea (Manchester United); Duff (Newcastle United), Carsley (Everton), Reid (Charlton Athletic), Kilbane (Wigan Athletic); Doyle (Reading), Keane (Tottenham Hotspur).

SAN MARINO (Probable): F Valentini; C Valentini, Albani, Bacciocchi, Crescentini, Vannucci; Michele Marani, Domeniconi, Bonini; Manuel Marani, Selva.

Rep of Ireland v San Marino

Lansdowne Road, 7.30

On TV: RTÉ 2, Sky Sports 1