Celtic’s Liam Miller was denied by the woodwork after four minutes when Thomas Butler’s free-kick from the left saw him loop a bouncing ball over the goalkeeper and against the crossbar, while John O’Flynn might have been on target after 22 minutes when he sent a diving header wide of the far post from Miller’s left wing cross.

It was a case of last chance saloon for nine of the players named in the Republic of Ireland team to face Russia at Waterford tonight.

Manager Don Givens has promised to bring through a new crop of players from the Under-20s after this game, with Tottenham’s Stephen Kelly and Patrick Kohlmann of Borussia Dortmund – the two full-backs – the only youngsters set to survive.

The Irish are out of the qualifying race so this match was all about playing for pride and avenging a 2-0 defeat in Moscow 12 months ago – plus the chance to impress senior team manager Brian Kerr.

The Irish had a great chance to take the lead in only the fourth minute but Celtic's Liam Miller was denied by the woodwork.

Graham Barrett won a free-kick on the left flank when a Russian defender handled the ball, and the cross was whipped in by Thomas Butler.

The ball ran through to Miller at the back of the six-yard box, but it did not settle kindly for him and when he looped it over the goalkeeper it came back off the crossbar, and the visitors scrambled it clear.

The Russians hit back and after eight minutes playmaker Marat Izmailov found space on the right before squaring the ball for Roman Adamov in the box, but he drilled his rising shot just wide.

From the restart Ireland worked the ball down their left to Andy Reid and his cross was chested down nicely on the edge of the box by Butler. This time the ball sat up nicely for Miller but he drove a low shot just wide of the near post.

Izmailov was definitely the dangerman and after 15 minutes he latched on to Andrei Arshavin’s flick, cut in from the right and hit a fierce shot which Daniel Connor did well to push away to his right.

The 4,000 fans in the Waterford United stadium thought Ireland had taken the lead after 22 minutes.

Nottingham Forest winger Reid again did well on the left as he slipped his marker and delivered an inviting deep cross. John O’Flynn met it with a diving header, but with just the goalkeeper to beat he directed the ball just beyond the far post.

There was more excitement two minutes later as the Russians won a free-kick on the right, just outside the Irish box. Arshavin fooled everyone by playing the ball back and square to Alan Kussov on the edge of the area but his shot was charged down by Reid.

The Irish suddenly had a golden chance to break as they outnumbered the Russians and Barrett raced down the right flank. However, when a good cross was required, the Coventry striker over-hit his pass and goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev easily gathered the ball.

Connor, playing on his home ground, came to the rescue again for the Irish after 38 minutes when Arshavin fed Izmaylov and the big goalkeeper blocked the close range shot with his legs.

A promising first half for the Irish came to a close with O’Flynn heading narrowly wide from Butler’s corner.