International Friendly/ Republic of Ireland 2 Australia 1The latest win of Brian Kerr's reign won't count for all that much when the serious business of seeking to qualify for the European Championships resumes next month.

However, even if it was far less convincing than any of the other six victories this year, the way in which his men battled from behind to beat a determined Australian side last night ensured it will be seen as a positive dress rehearsal for the visit of the Russians on September 6th.

Goals during the closing quarter of an hour from John O'Shea and Clinton Morrison were enough to maintain Kerr's record of straight wins and, as importantly, the strong sense within the camp that enough momentum has been accumulated since the mayhem of last year to carry the Irish into Euro 2004.

The night was not without its setbacks with Matt Holland and Robbie Keane departing with injuries during the first half. Keane's looked the more serious but initial indications afterwards were that it involved only bruising rather than serious ankle ligament damage and the Dubliner should be fine for the visit of Russia.

Keane's injury came at the end of what had been a decidedly mixed first half for the Irish. Down the right side Stephen Carr performed particularly strongly and Steve Finnan settling well into the midfield role he has performed often at club level but only very occasionally at international level.

Carr's efforts to get forward were the source of Ireland's most promising exchanges in and around the Australian area although on three occasions after he looked to have done the hard stuff his Spurs team-mate, Keane, proved incapable of converting the chances.

Keane seemed strangely hesitant for most of the half with the 23 year-old allowing a series of opportunities to pass him by. When Carr cut inside just before half-time Keane again seemed to delay his attempt on goal a little and when he did shoot Mark Schwarzer was forced into a stop down low to his left - his first real save of the match.

For Keane, though, the problem came after the shot, as he tumbled awkwardly over Tony Popovic, injured himself and was carried from the pitch. His journey to the dressing-room held the attention of almost everyone among the 37,200 in the stadium as David Connolly came off the bench to replace him.

In midfield Holland was barely on long enough to make much of an impression although some overly casual passing between him and Mark Kinsella almost landed the hosts in trouble after 13 minutes. At the time of their error the team was steadying itself from a let-off with Marco Bresciano's 20-yard shot on the turn having come back off the underside of Nicky Colgan's crossbar. The goalkeeper dealt well with the Danny Tiatto shot that followed the mistake in midfield.

Overall Kinsella performed solidly while Colin Healy did well when he came on. The young Corkman must be some way behind the bulk of the squad in terms of fitness after the summer of uncertainty regarding his club career and last week's move to Sunderland but his passing game and eagerness to look for the ball provided a timely reminder to the Irish bench of what he can do.

Despite a knock picked up at the weekend, another of Mick McCarthy's recent club signings, Gary Breen, maintained his partnership in central defence with Kenny Cunningham. The 29-year-old had one of his shakier evenings in a green jersey, however, rarely imposing himself on the Australian forwards and getting caught badly out by a long Schwarzer kick-out that Tiatto ran clear to meet. Colgan stood his ground well but his position surely would have been useless had the Manchester City midfielder's finish not been so poor.

Breen's withdrawal at half-time gave Andy O'Brien a chance to show what a season of regular Champions League football has done for his game but within minutes the Newcastle centre back had handed the visitors the opening goal of the night when he failed to control a cross from Stan Lazaridis.

Viduka had held the ball up well until then but with Harry Kewell absent through injury, there was little made of his lay-offs while the big Leeds striker posed little enough threat himself although Colgan had been forced into making a couple of decent saves. As the ball fell to him four minutes into the second half, though, he had plenty of time for a preliminary touch after which it was just a matter of picking his spot.

On the hour he should have bagged his side's second and, presumably, made sure of Ireland's first defeat under Kerr. This time Cunningham, Andy O'Brien and especially Ian Harte were caught by a quick Brett Emerton knock down and through ball from Bresciano. But again Colgan made his presence felt as he blocked Viduka's shot.

By then, however, the Irish had raised the tempo of their game with Damien Duff, in particular, picking up on what had been, by his own standards, a quiet first period. Morrison's arrival for Gary Doherty had also added considerably to the amount of movement amongst the Irish attacking players who were now increasingly stretching the Austraian defence out wide.

An equaliser certainly seemed to be within the team's capability and it came courtesy of O'Shea, his first in eight games for Ireland, who gently headed Ian Harte's fine free from the right past the visiting goalkeeper.

The home side then pressed on for a winner and Morrison went close to marking his return from injury by getting it when Duff and O'Shea linked up well only for the Birmingham City striker to head over the bar.

He didn't have to wait long to put matters right, though. Six minutes after Ireland's first goal and 10 before full-time Harte launched a long ball up field for Morrison to chase and though the striker's attempt to turn the ball past the advancing Schwarzer was weak it had enough power to beat the chasing Tony Vidmar to the line.

In the minutes that followed Frank Farina's side tried desperately to claw a goal back but by now the locals were finally looking dominant and not about to be deprived of a victory that carries them into next month's Russian game with seven straight wins since the new management took over.

IRELAND: Colgan (Hibernian/Stockport County); Carr (Tottenham Hotspur), Breen (Sunderland), Cunningham (Birmingham City), O'Shea (Manchester United); Finnan (Liverpool), Holland (Charlton Athletic), Kinsella (Aston Villa), Duff (Chelsea); Keane (Tottenham Hotspur), Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur). Subs: Healy (Sunderland) for Holland (20 mins), Connolly (West Ham) for Keane (45 mins), O'Brien (Newcastle United) for Breen (half-time), Harte (Leeds United) for Carr and Morrison (Birmingham City) for Doherty (57 mins), Kilbane (Sunderland) for Finnan (67 mins), Quinn (Sheffield Wednesday) for Duff (79 mins), Dunne (Manchester City) for Cunningham (84 mins).

AUSTRALIA: Schwarzer; Neill, Foxe, Popovic, Lazaridis; Emerton, Olon, Bresciano, Tiatto; Chipperfield, Viduka. Subs: Grella for Okon (67 mins), Vidmar for Tiatto (69 mins), Aloisi for Viduka (78 mins).

Referee: K Vidlak (Czech Republic).