Faroe Islands 1 Republic of Ireland 4
The Republic of Ireland got back to winning ways in FIFA World Cup Group C with a comprehensive victory over Faroe Islands in Torshavn.
Second half goals from Marc Wilson, Jonathon Walters, Darren O'Dea and an own goal from Faroe Islands defender Pol Justinussen earned the three points which leave Ireland in third place in Group C, one point behind second place Sweden after the first three games of the qualifying campaign.
Giovanni Trapattoni made three changes from the side which lost to Germany last Friday night in the Aviva Stadium with Marc Wilson coming in at left back for Stephen Ward, Robbie Brady coming in for Simon Cox and skipper Robbie Keane replacing Keith Fahey as Ireland switched back to a 4-4-2 formation.
The Faores had given Sweden a real fright on Friday night when the Swedes had to come from behind to beat them 2-1 but Ireland showed a positive attitude right from the start by forcing a corner within 28 seconds from which O'Dea just failed to connect properly with Robbie Brady's cross.
The best chance of the first half fell to Keith Andrews after 13 minutes when a short corner by Brady to McGeady produced a pin-point cross that Andrews headed past the post from six metres with the goal at his mercy.
Andrews played a part in the other good goal-scoring chance of the half when his back header across the face of goal from a Robbie Keane cross was tipped on by Walters but the Faores' goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen got his fingertips to the ball and pushed it away for a corner.
There was also other opportunities for Walters, Brady and McGeady while at the other end the Faroes had their chances with a cross cum shot from Daniel Udsen forcing a back-pedalling Westwood to paw the ball away while an excellent block from O'Dea denied Joan Edmundsson.
Ireland brought on Simon Cox for Robbie Brady at half-time and went ahead within a minute of the restart when left back Marc Wilson, making his competitive debut, cut in from the left past two defenders and unleashed a 30 metre right footed shot which screamed past Nielsen with a little assistance from the head of Jonas Naes.
Seven minutes later Ireland extended their lead when a deep cross from the left by Wilson was met by the head of Walters and his downward header flew past Nielsen who was probably distracted by Robbie Keane's attempt to get a touch on the ball. Keane claimed the goal but the fourth official confirmed that the goal had been awarded to Walters.
Ireland had a few opportunities to further increase their lead after that but spurned them and the Faores came back into the game. They pulled a goal back after 68 minutes when substitute Arnbjorn Hansen out-jumped John O'Shea to meet a cross from the right and sent a firm header past Westwood from 11 metres.
That goal rocked Ireland enough for them to immediately increase the tempo again and five minutes later they restored their two goal lead when a good move ended with Walters cross from the left being turned into his own net by Faroes' defender Pol Justinussen.
Shane Long was introduced for Robbie Keane after 80 minutes and Aiden McGeady almost added another eight minutes later when he turned sharply in the box and drilled a low left footed shot from 10 metres which produced a superb one handed save from Nielsen. From the resultant corner, taken by McGeady, Darren O'Dea held off the challenge of defender Rogvi Baldvinsson to head the ball home and score his first ever international goal.
There was just enough time to give David Meyler his first taste of competitive action as Ireland notched up the biggest win by a visiting team in the Faroes since France beat them 6-0 in 2007.
Elsewhere in Group C Germany raced into a 4-0 lead at home to Sweden after 56 minutes but the Swedes then pulled back three goals in 14 minutes to leave Joachim Loew's team hanging on for the final few minutes. Sweden completed a sensational comeback by equalising three minutes into injury time for a valuable point. In Vienna, Austria beat Kazakhstan 4-0.
Republic of Ireland: Kieren Westwood; Seamus Coleman, John O'Shea, Darren O'Dea, Marc Wilson; Robbie Brady (Simon Cox 46), Keith Andrews (David Meyler 90), James McCarthy, Aiden McGeady; Robbie Keane (c) (Long 80), Jonathan Walters.
Faroe Islands: Gunnar Nielsen; Jonas Naes, Pol Justinussen, Odmar Faero (Erling Jacobsen 61), Rogvi Baldvinsson; Hallur Hansson, Frodi Benjaminsen, Simun Samuelsen; Daniel Udsen (Arnbjorn Hansen 61), Christian Holst, Joan Edmundsson (Hjalgrim Elttor 79)
Referee: Lorence Jemini (Albania)
