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Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris:
FRANCE 0
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 0
Kick-off: 8.00pm Irish time
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1 min: Former Irish skipper Roy Keane, newly shaven-headed, almost slips Clinton Morrison in, but French skipper Fabien Barthez is out quickly to clear. Ireland are immediately looking to trouble the young centre-half partnership of Gael Givet and Sebastien Squillaci.
4 mins: Left-wing cross from Kevin Kilbane is plucked off the top of Robbie Keane's head by a busy Barthez.
7 mins: With possession almost exclusively Ireland's, Barthez is called into action again as Finnan sets up a right-wing cross for Robbie Keane. At the other end, Steve Carr slides in to deny Robert Pires on the edge of the Irish area.
10 mins: France's first meaningful chance, set up by a Carr foul on Henry on Ireland's right flank, sees the Arsenal striker drop the resultant free kick into Shay Given's welcoming arms.
11 mins: Ireland win the first corner of the match as Kilbane robs 20-year-old Rio Antonio Mavuba and sees his 20-yard shot spin off Olivier Dacourt. France break menacingly from Damien Duff's poorly-directed corner, but Carr steps in to break up a Mavuba-Henry move.
13 mins: Defensive jitters from Carr see the Spurs defender head backwards for Given, but the Irish number one can only palm the ball wide for France's first corner.
16 mins: Roy Keane is forced off for a temporary absence - would you believe it, for a change of jock-strap! - as Clinton Morrison wins another free kick from Givet.
21 mins: Ireland's 62% haul of possession in the first quarter-of-an-hour is being maintained in what is a very composed performance from Brian Kerr's side so far.
22 mins: A shirt tug by Duff on Chelsea team mate William Gallas sees France earn a right wing free kick but it comes to nothing.
24 mins: Finnan shoots straight at Barthez from just outside the French area, after Roy Keane had won a crunching challenge with Dacourt. A blatant dive by Pires when confronted by O'Shea draws whistles from the Irish support but a dangerous free from Spanish referee Arturo Ibanez. Remember that memoral Football365 Caution! Pires t-shirt? Finnan and O'Brien are forced to clear twice.
27 mins: As 'Que Sera' is struck up by the visiting supporters, Finnan's right-wing cross is headed narrowly wide by Morrison, just in front of Squillaci.
28 mins: Kilbane barges through into the French penalty area, but a combination of Mikael Silvestre and the Everton winger's own hand thwarts his progress.
32 mins: Duff has a shot inside the area blocked down by Wiltord, but a confident Morrison secures Ireland's second corner off Givet. Pires continues to feel the lusty wrath of the Irish fans' throats.
35 mins: A smart 20-yard right-sided shot from Gallas is saved by Given, high above his head - his first save of the night.
37 mins: Pires, perhaps inspired by the boos, is laid in by Henry and the Arsenal midfielder sees his low clipped effort, which deflected off O'Shea, palmed away by Given. Carr is forced to clear with Silvestre lurking at the far post.
40 mins: On-form Morrison, who scored twice in the previous two qualifiers, is forced off with a leg injury, having landed awkwardly in an aerial duel with Gallas. Andy Reid comes on for his second competitive cap.
45+2 mins: France end the half in the ascendancy as Gallas is allowed too much space on the right flank, but fittingly it is Pires with the last act - as another swan dive from the 30-year-old sees Ibanez call time.
Half-time: France 0 Ireland 0
45 mins: The second half begins with Ireland playing from left to right. No chances on either side sees Reid, in his eleventh appearance, remain in a forward role behind Robbie Keane, and Duff on the left flank.
48 mins: Another great challenge from the on-fire Kilbane sets up Reid for his first shot in anger - but the 25-yard effort is saved at the second attempt by Barthez.
49 mins: An unmarked Gallas, ghosting in at the back post, should have made it 1-0 to the French as Pires' left-wing free kick evades the Irish rearguard.
51 mins: French tails are up as Gallas continues to impress, but at the other end Robbie Keane almost gets in after a quick Kilbane free. The game is beginning to open up.
53 mins: A Henry midfield incision results in a Cisse shot in the Irish area, blocked down superbly by skipper Kenny Cunningham.
55 mins: Given stops a straight-on Henry shot from distance, as the French try to turn the screw. Ireland still hold 51% of the possession though.
59 mins: With 44% of the French attacks coming from the right side, and increasingly through Gallas, a Pires corner fails to trouble the Irish. Henry though is being used more and more in deep channels.
61 mins: A Reid corner sees Barthez punch clear and from Duff's rebound shot, the Marseille stopper palms over his own crossbar. Dacourt, from an earlier challenge by Robbie Keane, is forced off with a knee injury. Former Liverpool man Alou Diarra, currently playing with Lens, makes his debut for France as the replacement.
68 mins: A great run from Carr into acres of space sees Robbie Keane, unmarked as the French step up, glance his header down but within Barthez's reach.
69 mins: Barely half-a-minute later a well-flighted free kick from the left flank by Reid sees O'Shea, again unmarked, flash a right-footed effort inches wide of Barthez's right post.
72 mins: Pires, with space to shoot, is closed down well by Newcastle centre-half Andy O'Brien, with Given untroubled.
73 mins: Another Kilbane drive forward sees Gallas concede Ireland's fifth corner, but Barthez smothers Reid's centre.
77 mins: Henry is played in by a dink over the top, but with Cunningham in no-man's land, Given blocks the FIFA Player of the Year candidate's shot wide.
82 mins: Raymond Domenech throws what could be his last roll of the dice as Lyon front man Sidney Govou comes on for the ineffective Cisse.
86 mins: Steven Carr shows great commitment to earn Ireland another corner - Reid's delivery is over-hit but O'Brien's presence on the line sees Barthez tussle with the Republic defender.
88 mins: The French defence is exposed again as Givet is forced to head Reid's midfield delivery sees Ireland win a seventh corner.
90 mins: Henry almost plays in Gallas at the far post, but the game peters out as Brian Kerr's side seal a deserved point - only the second an Irish side has achieved on French soil in competitive fixtures.
Full-time: France 0 Ireland 0
atogb Man of the match: Kevin Kilbane
FRANCE: Fabien Barthez (Capt); William Gallas, Sebastien Squillaci, Gael Givet, Mikael Silvestre; Sylvain Wiltord, Olivier Dacourt, Rio Antonio Mavuba, Robert Pires; Thierry Henry, Djibril Cisse.
Subs used: Alou Diarra for Dacourt (63 mins), Sidney Govou for Cisse (82)
IRELAND: Shay Given; Steven Carr, Andy O'Brien, Kenny Cunningham (Capt), John O'Shea; Steve Finnan, Kevin Kilbane, Roy Keane, Damien Duff; Robbie Keane, Clinton Morrison.
Sub used: Andy Reid for Morrison (40 mins)
Referee: Arturo Dauden Ibanez (Spain).