ROBBIE WARNS THAT MINNOWS CAN BITE

ROBBIE KEANE will take stock before Republic of Ireland face Gibraltar — and remind his teammates of how close they came to the humiliation of drawing with San Marino. The LA Galaxy striker will captain Martin O’Neill’s side here in the Algarve tonight when they take on the Group D whipping boys. Gibraltar, who are taking part in their first major tournament, have no points and a goal difference of minus 33 after six matches. But Keane was part of the side in 2007 which had to rely on Stephen Ireland’s 95th-minute winner to avoid the ignominy of failing to beat San Marino in a Euro qualifier. ‘That is always the game I refer to,’ said Keane. ‘It was one of our worst performances and we only got a last-minute winner in the end. ‘But that is why you have to treat every game with respect. Look at the cups in England, there is always an upset.’ The likelihood of an upset this time is remote — Gibraltar are 50/1 to win the match — and Ireland could leapfrog Scotland into third place should they fail to win in Georgia. Keane, having only just returned from a groin injury, could only start from the bench for their 1-1 draw at home to the Scots in June. But with six goals in MLS in August, the 35-year-old is ready to lead the charge for maximum points against Gibraltar and Georgia, who they face in Dublin on Monday. ‘This is the best I’ve felt all year,’ he added. ‘At the time of the last game, for the first time in my career, I was out for longer than four weeks. I wasn’t right. ‘But now it’s going well for me and the team. ‘I won’t be retiring from international football any time between now and October, so for now I’m focused on winning every match and seeing where it takes us.’