 Mick McCarthy's side trailed to Patrick Mboma's 39th-minute striker before Holland levelled with a low drive and the Irish were unfortunate not to take all three point when Robbie Keane hit the post with just seven minutes to go.
The Republic looked as if they missed the inspiration of disgraced captain Roy
Keane during the first period, by the end of which Cameroon's prolific striker
Mboma had crowned his 50th cap with the 28th goal of his international
career.
But Ireland were a different proposition after the break at Niigata's Big Swan
Stadium.
Holland made his mark early in the game when he clattered former West Ham
midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe, which brought complaints from Arsenal's Lauren but
no whistle from Japanese referee Toru Kamikawa.
Robbie Keane tried his luck from distance and headed a Kevin Kilbane cross just past the post, not the first time he would leave Cameroon's otherwise impressive keeper Boukar Alioum left standing.
But the best early chance fell to Cameroon and to lively striker Samuel Eto'o. He accepted Mboma's pass to expose the weakness in the Irish defence - a lack of pace - which gave him a shooting chance.
But Given showed his speed off his line and produced a fine block to deny the Real Mallorca man.
Raymond Kalla and Bill Tchato were then involved in a sickening clash of heads in the
32nd minute, with the Montpellier defender coming off worse as he required
treatment on the sidelines after being stretchered off.
He eventually returned three minutes later, with Foe having drilled a 25-yard
drive over the bar in the meantime.
Steve Staunton needed to be at his best nine minutes from the break when Geremi
curled in an incisive cross from the right, with Cameroon captain Rigobert Song
just beaten to the header as the goal loomed for the former Liverpool and West
Ham player.
It was not the only Cameroon attack down the right where Geremi and Lauren combined well and the impressive Eto'o darted between Staunton and Harte to good effect.
Cameroon were beginning to build up a head of steam and they grabbed the lead
in the 40th minute courtesy of the irrepressible Mboma.
But Eto'o deserved the credit. The lively striker received a ball down the
right from Geremi, acclerated and cut inside Steve Staunton superbly on the byline before laying it off for
Mboma.
The 31-year-old then slid the ball home from six yards, despite Gary Kelly's
attempt to clear off the line.
Ireland almost equalised on the stroke of half-time as Rigobert Song inadvertently
steered a Harte free-kick from the right towards goal, but Boukar Alioum showed great
reactions to pounce on the ball on the line.
McCarthy made one change at the break, with Steve Finnan replacing Jason McAteer, who had been booked in the first half. The Fulham player took over at right-back as Kelly pushed forward into the slot vacated by the
Sunderland man.
Ireland certainly started the second half with a purpose and came close to a
48th-minute equaliser as Kevin Kilbane glanced Harte's left-wing cross across
the face of Alioum's goal.
Finnan made an instant impact on the game, albeit of the wrong sort as he
became the second Ireland player to be booked following a late challenge on
Mboma.
It mattered little for within minutes Ireland were back in the game after Cameroon had missed a chance to kill them off.
Geremi caught Ian Harte dawdling in possession and advanced unchallenged to send his shot from the edge of the box past Given's far post.
Ireland took their chance better when Kalla
could only steer a Kilbane cross into the path of Holland, allowing the
28-year-old to fire in a perfect low, right-foot drive beyond Alioum into the
bottom right corner.
After Given had received treatment for an injury he received when he
claimed a Pierre Wome corner, Alioum then made a meal of a Harte corner and
was fortunate to be helped out by Tchato.
Alioum redeemed himself in the 64th minute as Song came close to beating his
own keeper again after Gary Breen had nodded down a Kilbane cross into the six-yard box.
Song beat Robbie Keane to the ball but could only chest it down towards his own line. Alioum reacted quickly, though Keane claimed a goal as the spraling keeper again saved his skipper from scoring an own goal.
Ireland were in the ascendancy, but Cameroon still threatened on the counter attack as Foe nodded on a long goal-kick to Eto'o, who dragged his 15-yard shot wide when well placed.
Sheffield United's Patrick Suffo, on for Mboma in the 68th minute, then showed
fine skill in the Ireland half to elude two markers before striding on and
unleashing a 25-yard drive just wide.
McCarthy made a further change in the 78th minute, with Steven Reid replacing
Harte and slotting in at right wing, with Kelly playing in his third different
position of the game as he then moved across to left back.
Reid, like Finnan, also picked up an early caution, but that too
nearly paled into insignificance as Keane was a whisker away from giving Ireland
a famous victory, only to see his 20-yard curler beat Alioum and rebound off the
left-hand post.
Kalla was the last to be booked in the 89th minute as Cameroon eventually
survived a fierce Irish push for the winner, with Reid powering in a thunderous
drive which Alioum just tipped over the crossbar.
Rep of Ireland
Given, Gary
Kelly, Breen, Staunton, Harte
(Reid 78), McAteer (Finnan 45),
Holland, Kilbane, Kinsella,
Duff, Robbie Keane.
Goal: Holland 52.
Cameroon
Alioum, Kalla, Wome,
Song, Lauren, Geremi, Eto'o,
Foe, Olembe, Tchato, Mboma (Suffo
69).
Goal: Mboma 39.
Att: 33,679
Ref: T Kamikawa (Japan). |
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