Russian firepower thwarted by determined Irish

A sterling defensive display by the Republic of Ireland saw them hold Russia to what could prove to be a crucial 0-0 draw in their Euro 2012 Group B clash here on Tuesday. The Irish - who trail Russia now by two points with two matches remaining while Slovakia are a point behind but play later on Tuesday - had Aston Villa duo Shay Given and Richard Dunne to thank for keeping their automatic qualifying chances very much alive. The Irish - who were recording their third successive scoreless draw - had had to remodel their first choice defence radically as regular starters John O'Shea was injured and Sean St Ledger suspended, leading to rare starts for Leeds United's Darren O'Dea and Stephen Kelly, who was celebrating his 28th birthday. Given pulled off a stunning save in the eighth minute from Andrei Arshavin's rasping 30 yards shot, turning it around the post for a corner. The Aston Villa goalkeeper - winning his 116th cap and who made his international debut against the Russians - was again at his best in the 22nd minute as he dived to his right to turn away a volley from Igor Semshov after Alexsandr Kerzahkov had put in a dangerous cross. Dunne then produced a remarkable goalline clearance as Given was for once beaten but the veteran defender managed to block Semshov's shot with his leg as Russia piled the pressure on the Irish goal. Former Chelsea player Yuri Zhirkov looked a different player to the one rarely given a chance in England and having been the provider for Semshov's goalbound shot, he nearly turned to scorer as cheekily seeing Given off his line prior to a corner he tried to curl it in at the near post, only for the goalkeeper to recover and push it away. Russia began the second-half in the same determined fashion and Dunne again had to be alert to block Roman Shirokov's shot from inside the penalty area. Semshov then made an extraordinary misjudgement in the 55th minute as again breaking through the fragile Irish defence he chose to pass it into empty space - substitute striker Roman Pavlyuchenko was a yard behind him - to no-one rather than shoot himself with just Given to beat. Dunne, however, picked up a booking later in the half which rules him out of the next qualifier against Andorra, and was then involved in a farcical episode where having bloodied his shirt when his head hit the turf he was ordered off by the referee after returning with a new one. Dunne was not best amused but the referee refused to have him on the pitch as his replacement shirt had no number, a problem resolved when a backroom member of staff had to improvise by scribbling the number five on his back with a felt tip pen. Dunne produced another breathtaking block and then Given once again came to the rescue for the Irish as he pulled off an instinctive save with his legs from Konstantin Zyryanov's point blank header with the final whistle approaching.