‘LET’S END SCOTLAND FEELGOOD FACTOR’

From Back Page sense of optimism by recording a victory at what could prove a pivotal juncture in the campaign. ‘At the moment, Scotland seem to have a feelgood factor with them,’ he said. ‘They have a lot of momentum and are getting a lot of plaudits. ‘But if you look at the last game, there wasn’t a lot between us. Obviously, Scotland are coming here no doubt in good spirits. But we need to make sure they are leaving Dublin in bad spirits.’ Asked how he felt Strachan had done with the squad at his disposal, Keane replied: ‘I think you’ll have a better idea at the end of the campaign.’ The match at the Aviva Stadium will be another managerial head-to-head between Strachan and Parkhead predecessor Martin O’Neill. And, responding to a question about how well Strachan prepares his side to the face the opposition, Keane made it clear he didn’t think O’Neill should be considered in any way inferior. ‘No doubt you do your homework no matter who you’re playing — whether it be Scotland, England or whoever,’ said Keane. ‘But also don’t take your eye off the ball with your own team or what you’re all about. As I said, I don’t think there was much in the game up in Glasgow but enough in the fact that we lost. Obviously, concentration levels have to be at their best. ‘Gordon is an experienced manager but I think Martin O’Neill is pretty experienced, you know. ‘It’s pretty close all round. I’m comfortable going into a game with Martin O’Neill as the manager as well.’ Republic midfielder Stephen Quinn meanwhile admitted O’Neill’s side have been working overtime to ensure they are not caught out by another Scottish set-piece on Saturday. Quinn was among those dozing defensively when a quick corner-kick routine ended with Shaun Maloney curling home a spectacular winner at Celtic Park in November. ‘Looking back, when you think about it now, it was a sloppy goal to concede,’ he admitted. ‘But, it’s in the past. We’ve worked on our set-pieces to try to stop that happening again. ‘We didn’t impress (in Glasgow) but, hopefully, with us being back at home now, the fans can get behind us and we can beat them. ‘We need to show more quality than we did in Scotland.’