Ireland beats Italy 2-0 in friendly

Ireland on Tuesday beat Italy 2-0 in a soccer friendly match played in Belgium.

Blackburn midfielder Keith Andrews put Ireland ahead in the 36th minute following a free kick and substitute Simon Cox doubled the lead in the 90th minute.

Ireland had several usual starters missing, with Robbie Keane, John O'Shea, Kevin Kilbane and first-choice goalkeeper Shay Given.

Italy controlled for long stretches but was unable to create many clear chances before a crowd of about 20,000 dominated by Italian immigrants.

"Maybe Italy should have equalized for their technical skill and possession, but we took advantage of our opportunities," Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni said

Source:Xinhua

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